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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-07-25 12:01 1 Tour sets off for Paris as Chris Froome celebrates
(1.33/2) Chris Froome set off from Chantilly to the north of Paris yesterday for his Tour de France victory procession at 4.50pm local time (1650 GMT) 2016-07-25 10:24 1KB www.mid-day.com 2 Russia avoids blanket ban from Rio Olympics after IOC decision — RT Sport (1.04/2) The International Olympic Committee has left it to individual sports federations to decide if Russian teams should be allowed to participate in next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Russian officials will not be accredited at Rio 2016, and the track & field team is still barred. 2016-07-25 12:01 6KB www.rt.com 3 Youngest Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten denied parole in California — RT (1.02/2) America A former follower of serial killer Charles Manson, who’s serving a life sentence for killing a grocer and his wife in their home over 40 years ago, has been denied parole by Californian Governor Jerry Brown. 2016-07-25 12:01 3KB www.rt.com 4 Durant leads US to 49-point rout over China in exhibition (1.02/2) LOS ANGELES — Kevin Durant scored 19 points, Klay Thompson added 17 and the U. S. basketball team rolled to a second straight blowout exhibition victory, 106-57 over China on Sunday night. DeMar 2016-07-25 12:01 3KB sports.inquirer.net 5 'Like a Freight Train': California Wildfire Guts 18 Homes (1.02/2) Flames raced down a steep hillside "like a freight train," leaving smoldering remains of homes and forcing thousands to flee the wildfire churning through tinder-dry canyons in Southern California, authorities said Sunday. The fire that has destroyed at least 18 homes in northern Los... 2016-07-25 12:01 5KB abcnews.go.com 6 Of the People Americans share their hopes, fears and frustrations in interviews from the campaign trail. 2016-07-25 12:01 1KB www.nytimes.com 7 ISIS fighters captured while fleeing besieged town dressed as women (VIDEO) — RT News Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) fighters disguised as women were reportedly caught by opposition forces while attempting to flee Manbij, Syria. It came after the terrorist group was given 48 hours to leave the strategic city. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.rt.com 8 Munich gunman planned attack for year, left manifesto – police — RT News The Bavarian crime office has carried out a search of Munich shooter’s home, and found materials consistent with the theory that he had been planning the attack for a whole year prior to the act. Police also say a manifesto was left at the site of the shooting. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.rt.com 9 Spectator attempts to snatch ‘cursed’ Olympic torch from Brazilian relay (VIDEO) — RT Sport A man made a desperate lunge for the Olympic torch as it was being carried on a relay through Sao Paulo on Saturday. Lacking the grace of an Olympic gymnast, the man’s ill-timed attempt was quickly foiled by security officials. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.rt.com 10 Dignitaries arrive in Mthatha for opening of revamped Madiba Museum Mthatha has come to a standstill as government leaders continue to arrive for the official launch of the revamped Nelson Mandela Museum. 2016-07-25 12:01 991Bytes www.timeslive.co.za 11 Kansas attorney-general sues DoD over Guantanamo Bay relocation records — RT America Kansas' attorney-general filed suit against the US Defense Department, claiming it failed to produce records related to President Obama's proposal to move prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to Fort Leavenworth, despite a freedom of information request. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.rt.com 12 Dismiss DA’s dated advert complaint‚ City of Joburg urges IEC The advertisements saying “the City of Johannesburg is in good hands” were aimed at investors not voters‚ and the campaign was launched “long before the date of the local government elections was announced”. 2016-07-25 12:01 3KB www.timeslive.co.za 13 DA: ‘ANC candidates list represents corruption‚ declining service delivery and unemployment’ The Democratic Alliance says the mayoral candidates list announced by the ANC on Saturday night represents corruption‚ declining service delivery and unemployment. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 14 Lack of Parliament antics sees EFF’s media profile dip: survey The African National Congress (ANC) saw an uptick in its media profile‚ but for the wrong reason. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 15 Watch: Meet the man who Zuma’s guards can’t turn away This is President Jacob Zuma’s friend – Collen Chauke. He is probably the only man Zuma openly calls friend in front of the public. 2016-07-25 12:01 8KB www.timeslive.co.za 16 1 dead, multiple casualties reported at Doubles bar — RT America A shooting has taken place at a bar in Hamilton, Ohio, killing at least one person and injuring several others. The shooter is on the run, according to local media. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.rt.com 17 Trump: France, Germany compromised by terrorism Donald Trump has suggested terrorist attacks in France and Germany were their 2016-07-25 12:01 782Bytes www.timeslive.co.za 18 There's no place to hide in Sevens rugby There will not be a more tightly contested, open medal at those Games. 2016-07-25 12:01 4KB www.timeslive.co.za 19 Municipalities think protesters are ‘criminals’‚ but ISS says name-calling isn’t wise Who is the average protester? According to our local governments‚ they are between the ages of 18 and 35‚ unemployed and sometimes criminals. 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 20 Kaizer, Iron Duke show maturity Latest news from South Africa, World, Politics, Entertainment and Lifestyle. The home of The Times and Sunday Times newspaper. 2016-07-25 12:01 3KB www.timeslive.co.za
21 Obama aide visits China after South China Sea ruling BEIJING — US National Security Adviser Susan Rice was in Beijing on Monday for talks with Chinese officials in the highest-level visit by a White House official since an international tribunal 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB globalnation.inquirer.net 22 Arroyo: ‘I must be last victim’ of political persecution Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared herself a victim of political persecution, following her release from nearly five years in detention over a corruption 2016-07-25 12:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 23 ‘Pokemon Go’ players stumble on hidden history PROVIDENCE, R. I. — Historical markers have long dotted the landscape, often barely noticed by passers-by — until they became treasure-filled stops this month on the "Pokemon Go" 2016-07-25 12:01 5KB technology.inquirer.net 24 CA orders PCC to explain why it should not stop probe on P70B telco deal The Court of Appeals has ordered the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to comment on the separate petitions filed by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Globe 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB business.inquirer.net 25 Pimentel vows support for all-out war on crime, drugs, corruption Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday vowed to support the all-out war against crime, drugs and corruption, while also strengthening the rule of law and justice 2016-07-25 12:01 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 26 Christian Bautista lauded for being loyal ‘Kapuso’ Despite a number of fellow Kapuso talents who have decided to transfer to a rival network, one of Asia’s top balladeers has chosen to remain loyal to GMA Network. On Thursday, July 21, Christian 2016-07-25 12:01 5KB entertainment.inquirer.net 27 ‘Bato’ tells anti-riot cops: Show love to rallyists Put aside your battle gear and show militant rallyists some love. This was Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa’s message to the anti-riot 2016-07-25 12:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
28 Nat’l Security Council to meet Aug. 27 on issues confronting PH (Note: This story is being reposted to include a correction that the National Security Council meeting has been scheduled for August 27, 2016, not July 27, 2016, as reported in the original 2016-07-25 12:01 4KB globalnation.inquirer.net 29 Punishing Strike by Resident Doctors Grinds on in Haiti Empty halls buzz with flies. Rats scamper through the wards at night. The emergency room is empty except for four shackled prisoners, watched over by relatives and missionaries rather than medical personnel. The Hospital of the State University of Haiti, the largest and most important... 2016-07-25 12:01 7KB abcnews.go.com 30 Dallas Police Investigating Death of Child Left in Car Dallas police are investigating the death of young child who was left in a car amid hot weather. Police said in a statement that officers responded around 4:20 p.m. Sunday to a report of a 3- year-old left in a vehicle on the northeast side... 2016-07-25 12:01 1KB abcnews.go.com 31 Japan Sees Trade Surplus in June as Imports Drop 19 Percent Japan reports it posted a better-than-expected trade surplus in June, as imports fell nearly 19 percent, outpacing a more modest decline in exports. The customs data reported Monday showed a 692.8 billion yen ($6.5 billion) surplus, compared with a... 2016-07-25 12:01 1KB abcnews.go.com 32 Man shot in Lawndale A 20-year-old man was shot in the right leg Sunday night in the Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side. 2016-07-25 12:01 759Bytes chicago.suntimes.com 33 Skydiver Missing After Jump in Oklahoma Crews in Oklahoma are searching for a missing skydiver whose parachute has been recovered. Local media report the skydiver, a woman in her 20s from Kansas, jumped around 3:45 p.m. Sunday near Cushing. Her parachute was found in a wooded area, but... 2016-07-25 12:01 1KB abcnews.go.com 34 Salman Khan acquitted in blackbuck poaching case The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur on Monday acquitted superstar Salman Khan in the blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases, officials said 2016-07-25 11:04 1KB www.mid-day.com
35 Australians boycott incomplete, unsafe Rio Athletes' Village The Olympic Village in Rio opened its doors to the world’s athletes yesterday, less than two weeks before the Games begin — but Australia immediately boycotted the facility, calling it “simply not safe or ready 2016-07-25 11:00 1KB www.mid-day.com 36 Kenyan caught smuggling gold worth Rs 2.25 crore at Mumbai airport Mumbai's Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) Saturday evening caught Kenyan national with 7.5 kilogram smuggled gold worth Rs. 2.25 Crore 2016-07-25 10:49 1KB www.mid-day.com 37 Youth with suspected ISIS links held with 1 kg explosives at Parbhani Around 1 kg explosives and other instruments were recovered from him; his arrest follows that of Rizwan Khan’s in Mumbai, for allegedly recruiting youths for ISIS, and that of Nasir Chaus, also from Parbhani 2016-07-25 10:46 2KB www.mid-day.com 38 Wadala man goes missing with kid, texts suicide note Cops trace phone of 35-year-old, who went missing with his 5- year-old daughter 3 days ago, to Vashi bridge, rope in fire brigade, but find no clue; blames wife's many extramarital affairs behind step in suicide note 2016-07-25 10:44 3KB www.mid-day.com 39 Rio 2016: Indian shooter Chain Singh to resume training India’s Rio-bound shooter Chain Singh, who was hospitalised in Lausanne, Switzerland after being diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and pneumonia, will soon resume training 2016-07-25 10:44 936Bytes www.mid-day.com 40 Ed Vaizey's #Vexit interview: ‘Advertising doesn't ask a lot of government - and that’s a problem’ It’s been one week since Ed Vaizey MP took to Twitter to announce his self-proclaimed #Vexit at the hands of Theresa May. The Drum headed to Westminster to catch up with the former minister of state for culture and the digital economy on his tenure in office... 2016-07-25 10:41 4KB www.thedrum.com
41 Anthony Martial launches am9 brand in swipe at Man United giving Zlatan no.9 shirt Manchester United striker Anthony Martial's efforts to market his own personal brand 'am9' have been undermined by the club after it handed new arrival, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the number nine shirt. 2016-07-25 10:41 1KB www.thedrum.com 42 Vodafone boss claims the UK is still an ‘attractive’ place to be post-Brexit vote Vodafone’s chief executive has rowed back on his earlier claims that Vodafone could quit the UK following the referendum, insisting that it’s an “attractive place to be”. 2016-07-25 10:41 1KB www.thedrum.com 43 Donald Trump's 'make America great again' campaign line lifted from Mussolini speech Donald Trump's controversial discourses have been widely criticised from both ends of the political spectrum but now the presidential hopefuls 'make America great again' rhetoric looks tarnished after it emerged that the line is an echo from a speech given by fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. 2016-07-25 10:40 2KB www.thedrum.com 44 Grey’s new senior team interview: Inside the agency’s plan for the future post-Grexit As Grey’s new management team settles in, The Drum talks to those tasked with replacing the Grexit trio and how they plan on doing things their way. 2016-07-25 10:40 9KB www.thedrum.com 45 First It Was Killer Bathtubs, Now It’s Killer Air Conditioners Remember when President Obama said that more Americans die in bathtubs than at the hands of terrorists? Well, now Secretary of State John... 2016-07-25 10:34 1KB spectator.org 46 Conservative Super PAC Offers Tim Kaine Some Friendly Advice Levity is rare for Super PACs of both political varieties. After all, casting your political adversaries as threats to the American way is serious business. But the conservative America Rising Supe 2016-07-25 10:32 1KB dailycaller.com 47 Kaine: Can't Mishandle Classified Info Without Consequence In a June 26 interview on "Meet The Press," the man who would later become Hillary Clinton's running mate told NBC's Chuck Todd that "I can't take classified information that I get as a senator and gi 2016-07-25 10:32 1KB dailycaller.com
48 Manchester Test: Rain forces early tea as England on course for win Alastair Cook caused a stir with his surprise decision to spare Pakistan the follow-on as England nonetheless stayed on course for a wide-margin series-levelling victory at Old Trafford yesterday 2016-07-25 10:34 1KB www.mid-day.com 49 Verizon 'will buy Yahoo! today for $4.8 billion' & bring an end to Mayer's reign American media and telecoms giant Verizon will announce its plans to buy Yahoo! Inc. for about $4.8bn on Monday, said Bloomberg, quoting a person with direct knowledge of the situation. 2016-07-25 10:32 1KB www.thedrum.com 50 India record biggest Test win outside Asia against West Indies, Ravichandran Ashwin takes 7/83 India's supremacy remained unrivalled as they rode on Ravichandran Ashwin's 7/83 to outplay the West Indies by an innings and 92 runs, their biggest win outside Asia, in a lopsided first cricket Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series today 2016-07-25 10:32 6KB www.mid-day.com 51 Mumbai: From stars to slum dwellers, locals don't get the basics at K-West ward All who call this ward their home suffer basic problems, like unclean surroundings, dirty beaches and a lack of safe roads and footpaths 2016-07-25 10:28 3KB www.mid-day.com 52 Caution needed in choppy waters Turbulent times call for a measured response 2016-07-25 10:22 4KB www.mid-day.com 53 Where there's a will, there's a GST Bill Market participants are awaiting fruitful discussions in the Rajya Sabha in implementing the GST Bill, which has been listed for discussions this week 2016-07-25 10:22 5KB www.mid-day.com 54 Three Sundays later, ISIS bombs Baghdad again The terror group’s suicide bomber blows himself up near a Shiite area and kills at least 15 people 2016-07-25 10:20 1KB www.mid- day.com
55 For kidnapping 13, two Mexicans jailed for 520 years Two men involved in one of Mexico's most shocking kidnapping and killing incidents have each been sentenced to 520 years in prison 2016-07-25 10:20 1KB www.mid-day.com 56 Mumbai: HC lifts fee restrictions on PG med students Providing relief to post-graduate medical students, the Bombay High Court on Friday stated that students belonging to socially backward classes would be allowed to appear for their examination without any restrictions from the colleges 2016-07-25 10:18 2KB www.mid-day.com 57 AN-32: IAF lodges missing complaint with TN police After 48 hours of frantic search involving assets drawn from IAF, Navy and Coast Guard, IAF authorities have lodged a formal complaint with Tamil Nadu police over the missing AN-32 aircraft 2016-07-25 10:16 1KB www.mid-day.com 58 Mumbai: Sole surviving 26/11 canine hero lands in hospital After his friend Tiger passed away, 11-year-old Caesar, also part of the bomb squad during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, developed high temperature and depression 2016-07-25 10:14 2KB www.mid-day.com 59 Syrian migrant 'behind Germany explosion' A failed asylum seeker from Syria killed himself and injured 12 others after setting off a bomb near an open-air music festival in the German city of Ansbach, officials said early Monday 2016-07-25 10:09 3KB www.mid-day.com 60 CM Devendra Fadnavis meets Kopardi rape victim's family Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and minister Ram Shinde yesterday met family members of the gang-rape victim at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district 2016-07-25 10:06 2KB www.mid-day.com 61 The LGBT Bandwagon Rolls On On July 14 the California board of education added LGBT mandates to the state’s new K-12 social studies program revised for the first time... 2016-07-25 10:02 6KB spectator.org 62 Old Men With Big Serves There was a moment at the final of the Washington Open when I thought the spectators should be reprimanded for biggism. If the six... 2016-07-25 10:03 8KB spectator.org 63 The American Spectator When Hillary Clinton chose Tim Kaine as her vice presidential nominee, what she was really choosing was one of the two major characteristics defining... 2016-07-25 10:03 6KB spectator.org 64 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: T Does Cleveland With everything that could’ve gone wrong, Cleveland was a heckuva week for T. The media were in full no-more-nice-guy mood... 2016-07-25 10:02 4KB spectator.org 65 18yo German-Iranian goes on shooting rampage in Munich: Facts known so far — RT News The Munich gunman had no connection to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), police officials said, pointing out his inclination to killing sprees that took place in the past, including the 2011 Utoya shooting, and an alleged psychiatric disorder. 2016-07-25 10:03 4KB www.rt.com 66 Ansbach resident talks to RT after Bavaria blast — RT News Total confusion reigned at the scene of a blast at a bar in the German city of Ansbach. The alleged attacker died and at least 12 people were wounded, a local resident who spoke with first responders told RT. 2016-07-25 10:03 1KB www.rt.com 67 Plaques posted outside Boris Johnson’s house mock him as ‘destroyer’ of London — RT UK A protester has come up with a creative way to mock the new British foreign minister, Boris Johnson, by placing two blue plaques in the signature style of English Heritage commemorative signs outside his house in London. 2016-07-25 10:02 1KB www.rt.com 68 Americans want tougher gun laws, ban of assault weapons – poll — RT America An increasing number of people in the US favor stricter gun control, imposed on federal level rather than by individual states, a new poll showed. People interviewed expressed a sense of insecurity and fear of falling victim to gun violence. 2016-07-25 10:02 3KB www.rt.com
69 DNC Vice Chairman Referred To Megyn Kelly As A 'Bimbo' A Democratic National Committee vice chairman referred to Megyn Kelly as a “bimbo” in response to her May interview with Donald Trump, according to an email released by WikiLeaks. “Yes, Trump 2016-07-25 10:00 4KB dailycaller.com 70 Ginnie Mae Hired Fake CPA To Run $1.9 Trillion Portfolio Officials at the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) hired a tax scofflaw with a resume including a false claim to be a certified public accountant (CPA) as chief financial officer ( 2016-07-25 10:00 7KB dailycaller.com 71 Sexy Josie Canseco Playboy Pictures Josie Canseco is the daughter of former baseball player Jose Canseco, and she's making a big name for herself. Josie has been in several music videos and is taking the next large step forward by 2016-07-25 10:00 927Bytes dailycaller.com 72 Best-Selling TaoTronics Bluetooth Speaker On Sale TaoTronics is one of the Daily Dealer's favorite brands, as the company makes some of the best electronics devices on the market. As such, we're constantly on the lookout for TaoTronics sales. Our 2016-07-25 10:01 2KB dailycaller.com 73 Debbie Wasserman Schultz Quits DNC Over Leaked Emails Debbie Wasserman Schultz mocked the Republican National Convention just days before she was forced to quit because her own party became embroiled in a scandal over leaked emails. [caption id="atta 2016-07-25 10:01 1KB dailycaller.com 74 DNC Leak: Maybe Cruz's Dad Really WAS Part Of Anti-JFK Plot Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's oddball conspiracy theory that Sen. Ted Cruz's father was involved in the death of former President John F. Kennedy has received some unexpected support: 2016-07-25 10:01 2KB dailycaller.com 75 Sanders Delegates Threaten To Protest During Clinton And Kaine Acceptance Speeches [VIDEO] PHILADELPHIA--Two Sanders delegates slammed both Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee Sunday during a press conference and claimed that Bernie Sanders delegates may walkout, turn thei 2016-07-25 10:01 3KB dailycaller.com 76 DNC Planned To Reward Big Donors With Federal Appointments Democratic National Committee documents recently released by WikiLeaks include spreadsheets and emails that appear to show party officials planning which donors and prominent fundraisers to provide wi 2016-07-25 10:01 7KB dailycaller.com 77 The Night Of Episode Three Review HBO Series Nasir Khan tentatively asking a prison guard if he should fear for his life set the stage for yet another grueling hour of HBO’s riveting, timely limited series. [caption id="attachment_5136220" 2016-07-25 10:01 6KB dailycaller.com 78 EXCLUSIVE: DNC Interim Chair Declined To Disavow Hillary Commie Endorsement Now that Donna Brazile was named interim chair of the DNC maybe she can finally get around to renouncing the Communist Party USA’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton. When CPUSA chairman John Bachtel 2016-07-25 10:01 3KB dailycaller.com 79 Suicide Bombing In Germany By Syrian Man Denied Asylum A suicide bomber has been killed after he detonated explosives he was carrying at a musical festival in Germany Sunday, injuring 12 people. [caption id="attachment_5146716" align="alignnone" width 2016-07-25 10:00 1KB dailycaller.com 80 EXCLUSIVE: Clinton scandal may drag down Laureate Univrsity Reports of faulty corporate record keeping and links to the growing controversy over allegations of Clinton Foundation "pay-to-play" schemes could doom the pending initial public offering (IPO) of t 2016-07-25 10:00 7KB dailycaller.com 81 Civil liberties group takes on copyright rules — RT America Arguing that rules under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act are unconstitutional, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is challenging the US government on behalf of two plaintiffs. 2016-07-25 10:01 3KB www.rt.com 82 Widow takes husband's corpse on Alaskan road trip — RT America People grieve in different ways after losing a loved one, but one woman took her sorrow to another level, taking her dead husband on a road trip in Alaska. 2016-07-25 10:01 2KB www.rt.com 83 Feds nab ringleaders of $1bn Medicare fraud — RT America Federal agents have broken up a billion-dollar Medicare scam. Philip Esformes and two other defendants are accused of running the biggest Medicare fraud in the nation’s history. Esformes was arrested at his Miami Beach waterfront estate. 2016-07-25 10:01 3KB www.rt.com 84 Coach derails at Mahim yard, on same section where major remodelling had been carried out recently Another derailment, though in the yard, has brought the maintenance of the Western Railway in focus once more. This is the third derailment on WR and the second on the suburban section over the past few months 2016-07-25 10:01 2KB www.mid- day.com 85 Mumbai 5's crowned Premier Futsal 2016 champions Mumbai 5’s were crowned inaugural Premier Futsal champions after defeating Kochi 5’s via sudden death in the penalty shootout here today yesterday 2016-07-25 09:59 1KB www.mid-day.com 86 UN praises Colombia and FARC's agreement on women The UN welcomes an agreement between the Colombian government and FARC rebels giving specific guarantees to women as part of a peace accord. 2016-07-25 09:37 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 87 Bamboo magnate's £1bn ambitions for Sheffield A Chinese man who made his fortune selling bamboo hopes to revitalise the British steel city of Sheffield with a more than £1bn ($1.3bn) investment. 2016-07-25 09:37 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 88 BJP MLC arrested for sexually harassing minor girl in a train Party suspended Tunna Ji Pandey soon after 2016-07-25 09:58 1KB www.mid-day.com 89 BSF trooper stabs colleague, escapes with machine gun A border security force (BSF) trooper on Sunday escaped with a light machine gun (LMG) after stabbing his colleague at a an outpost on the international border in Jammu district 2016-07-25 09:56 2KB www.mid-day.com
90 Is it a mistake to talk about your children at work? Whether your children are problems or prodigies, is it damaging to your career to talk about them too much in the workplace? 2016-07-25 09:55 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 91 The high-flyer who swapped the circus for the cinema How Gerry Cottle Jr went from being a trapeze artist in his dad's circus to setting up a popular rooftop cinema business. 2016-07-25 09:55 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 92 Nintendo shares plunge on Pokemon profit warning Shares in Japanese gaming giant Nintendo fall sharply as the firm says the success of Pokemon Go will only have a limited impact on its earnings. 2016-07-25 09:55 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 93 Prince Harry 'regrets not speaking about Princess Diana's death' Prince Harry says he regrets that he did not speak about the death of his mother, Princess Diana, until three years ago. 2016-07-25 09:55 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 94 Bosworth Water Park death: Two people released on bail A man and woman arrested after a five-year-old boy died at a water park have been released on bail, police say. 2016-07-25 09:55 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 95 Elderly woman found murdered in Delhi An elderly woman was found murdered in her house here on Sunday and an amount of cash and jewellery missing, police said 2016-07-25 09:55 1KB www.mid-day.com 96 Georgia Nicols horoscopes for July 25, 2016 We have the “all clear” today to do business. The Moon is in Aries... 2016-07-25 09:53 4KB chicago.suntimes.com
97 Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce 2016-07-25 09:53 3KB www.mid-day.com 98 Dear Abby: Wife of dementia patient fears the future Since her husband's seizure, she has been depressed and torn between staying with him unhappily or leaving him and feeling guilty. 2016-07-25 09:53 2KB chicago.suntimes.com 99 Mumbai: Court reduces 3-month sentence of hit-and-run convict to one day A 22-year-old biker, convicted in a hit-and-run case, had appealed against his 3-month sentence; a Sessions court upheld the conviction, but keeping in mind the convict’s career prospects, reduced the sentence till the rising of court 2016-07-25 09:52 2KB www.mid-day.com 100 Live Updates: In cross-examination, Hebron shooter accuses IDF commanders of lying Trial proceedings resume Monday morning after adjourning early Sunday due to IDF Sgt. Elor Azaria feeling unwell. 2016-07-25 09:52 2KB www.jpost.com Articles
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-07-25 12:01
1 Tour sets off for Paris as Chris Froome celebrates (1.33/2) Chantilly (France): Chris Froome set off from Chantilly to the north of Paris yesterday for his Tour de France victory procession at 4.50pm local time (1650 GMT). Overall leader Christopher Froome (left) and Geraint Thomas celebrate with beers at the start of the last stage of the Tour de France between Chantilly and Paris Champs-Elysees yesterday. Pic/AFP The 31-year-old Briton will claim a third Tour title once he crosses the finishing line on the Champs Elysees, barring an unlikely and unforeseen disaster. Just 113km — the first part of which will be ridden at something of a trundle — separate Froome from his crowning glory after 3,500km crossed over three weeks covering all sorts of varied French terrain. "It’s like the first time, it’s amazing," Froome told French television. "Every time it’s special, my team have done a huge job this year. I must thank them for the jersey. It’s a beautiful day, we have sunshine, I hope to finish the race without difficulty. " Froome powers to third Tour de France victory timeslive.co.za
Froome has all but won his third Tour crown timeslive.co.za 2016-07-25 10:24 By AFP www.mid-day.com
2 Russia avoids blanket ban from Rio Olympics after IOC decision — RT Sport (1.04/2) 24 July 2016 Two-time pole vault Olympic champion and world record holder, Yelena Isinbayeva, who will still miss the Olympics after IAAF announced its position, shared her emotions on Instagram. “That’s it… The battle for Rio is over. I’ll never stand on the top of the Olympic podium again. The Russian anthem won’t be played in my honor. I won’t make my fans happy by my performance. Oh god, how bitter it is to face such injustice,” Isinbayeva wrote. “What I could’ve given the world in Rio – what height, what emotions. It’ll will remain a mystery… for me as well… I want to cry,” she added. Russian athletes will prove their class in Rio, Aleksey Vlasenko, vice president of Russia’s Diving Federation and head of Moscow’s Synchronized Swimming Federation said, after IOC refrained from banning the country from the upcoming Olympics. “It’s hard to say how just and fair the IOC decision is because there are a lot of hidden riffs. But i’ts 1,000 percent obvious that its’ positive for us. In our federations, all of the divers and synchronized swimmers are admitted to the Olympic Games,” Vlasenko told RT. “We’ll prove that we are the cleanest and the best in the world” at the Olympics in Brazil, he added. One Western athlete has picked up the inconsistency that will see Russians who have served lengthy drug bans to be banned from Rio, while others having done the same will still be allowed. While the measure will help to reduce the mention of past doping in the TV coverage, it is hard to see what their violations have to do with the supposed doping cover-ups in Russian sports. After all, in the cases of the athletes who were punished, the system did work, at least to an extent. So if you're Russian and served a drug ban you aren't allowed, but the US can send previously banned athletes. What? https://t.co/2oJiB4K9w3 The IAAF has no intention of overturning its decision to ban the entire Russian team, its representatives told TASS. Earlier, Russia's athletics head Mikhail Butov expressed hope that the federation would undertake a new assessment of Russia's team in the wake of the IOC statement. The IOC statement mentioned that the athletics decision has already been enforced, and said its delegation to the federations to allow entry would only concern those federations that had not already ruled on Russia. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has been one of the first to give its preliminary go-ahead for the Russian team to participate in the games, issuing this press release. The ITF has issued the following statement regarding the IOC's Executive Board decision https://t.co/IxKFWy9wQd pic.twitter.com/VTwty9oHs3 "The eight Russian tennis players who have been nominated to compete in Rio have been subject to a rigorous anti-doping testing programme outside Russia, which included: - A total of 205 samples collected since 2014, of which; - 83 (40%) were collected In-Competition and 122 (60%) Out-of- Competition; - 111 (54%) were urine samples and 94 (45%) were blood samples. " In what may be an error, or a badly-worded sentence, the ITF goes on to say that "it believes that this is sufficient for the seven Russian tennis players to meet the relevant requirement of today’s decision of the IOC Executive Board. The ITF will also be seeking confirmation from WADA that none of those players, or the Russian Tennis Federation, were implicated in the McLaren report, in accordance with the IOC decision. " After Maria Sharapova was forced to withdraw from the team, it now contains three men and five women, none of whom are currently under any doping sanctions. Sebastian Coe, who heads the IAAF, which has already banned the entire Russian team, says he is prepared to share the information gathered during the investigation, to help other federations make their decision, with less than a fortnight to go. IAAF team ready to offer advice to any International Sports Federations given our experience and what we have learned over last 8 months "I'm just sad that the IOC have passed the buck, as they so often do, down to the governing bodies, and I don't think the governing bodies have the time to be able to do very much about this," says Sharron Davies, the popular UK Olympic swimmer told the BBC. "I think the only way to send an incredibly strong message to a state-run doping program is a blanket ban. " No... I fell so disappointed in IOC again, shows it's more about the money than the sport! Shame on them... https://t.co/epjYWlTnWC Other UK Olympians have also taken to Twitter to trash the decision. So the IOC have hospital passed that all to the IF's. "No YOU decide. We don't want to". What a cop out. Bottled it - IOC passing the buck to individual federations (sports) on whether to allow Russian athletes to compete in Rio 2016. Bad day. IOC are useless... like I said last week.. what EXACTLY would a country have to do to get a blanket ban?... #cantshakemyheadhardenough Michele Verroken, who was a key figure in setting up the UK's anti-drugs policy, and remains an independent sports ethics expert, has called the IOC move a "poor decision. " "The IOC didn't want to offend anybody, and didn't want any boycotts. The decision is not very clear for Russian athletes, and not very helpful for other athletes. It's a bit of a fudge," she told RT in a broadband link interview from the UK. A reporter from the UK newspaper, The Times, which organized a petition signed by UK sportsmen and officials asked Bach at the news conference that followed about what his decision meant, after the Russians "were laughing at the world" with their alleged cheating at Sochi. Bach said he was aware of the petition, and that its authors are disappointed, but insisted that the IOC verdict was made to "protect clean athletes. " A fuller statement from the UK Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, calling for "stronger sanctions" against Russia. UK sports minister response to IOC decision... pic.twitter.com/eve8vDIJY3
Relief in Rio! 'Clean' Russian athletes get a passport to the Olympic Games thedrum.com 2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
3 Youngest Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten denied parole in California — RT America (1.02/2) Leslie Van Houten was 19 when she held down one of her victims, Rosemary La Bianca, while someone else stabbed her. Van Houten later admitted she also took the knife and stabbed the woman after she was dead. Now 66, the former ‘Manson Family’ adherent has been denied parole 20 times since her conviction over the 1969 killings. She has completed college degrees along with demonstrating exemplary behavior while imprisoned, according to the BBC. Brown acknowledged her good behavior in prison, but wrote in his decision that the prisoner still hadn’t expressed how she had transformed from an average teenage girl to a killer. “Both her role in these extraordinarily brutal crimes and her willing participation in such horrific violence cannot be overlooked and lead me to believe she remains an unacceptable risk to society if released,” the governor wrote. Van Houten was the youngest member of the Manson Family, a commune of people led by murderer Charles Manson. A day before she was involved in the murders of the La Bianca couple, members of the group had killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others at the home Tate shared with husband Roman Polanski. Relatives of Van Houten’s victims had opposed the prisoner’s release and garnered over 140,000 signatures for a petition to block it. Lou Smaldino, nephew of the La Biancas said he was relieved with the outcome. “Governor Brown has done a good thing here and I think he sees what we see, that this was an unrepentant killer,” he said as reported by NBC . Van Houten’s lawyer said he will challenge the parole decision in the Los Angeles County Superior Court and was insistent another parole hearing could arise in a year, according to NBC. Manson became a figurehead of popular culture at the time of the trials and was even featured on the front cover over Rolling Stone magazine. READ MORE: ‘Terrorists, albeit homegrown’: Charles Manson cult follower recommended for parole His actions were designed to trigger what he believed was an inevitable race war in America, which he referred to as “Helter Skelter” after a Beatles song he claimed contained hidden messages and directions. Last year, it was revealed that a 26-year-old woman who sought to wed the convicted murderer wanted to do so to claim profits by putting Manson’s corpse on display after he died. Afton Elaine Burton, also known as ‘Star’, reportedly conceived of the wild scheme with a friend, according to the New York Post . READ MORE: Charles Manson receives marriage license while serving life sentence for murder
California governor denies parole for Manson follower cbs46.com 2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
4 Durant leads US to 49-point rout over China in exhibition (1.02/2) LOS ANGELES — Kevin Durant scored 19 points, Klay Thompson added 17 and the U. S. basketball team rolled to a second straight blowout exhibition victory, 106-57 over China on Sunday night. DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points in his hometown, and DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and seven rebounds in another impressive performance to open the Americans’ pre-Olympic tour. While they’re still learning their teammates’ tendencies and solidifying player rotations, the newly assembled U. S. team looked remarkably cohesive for long stretches against an overmatched opponent with no current NBA players. Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan scored 12 points and led a strong defensive effort with three blocks for the Americans, who held the Chinese to 30.9 percent shooting. After opening their showcase tour by trouncing Argentina in Las Vegas on Friday night, the U. S. team posted another rout at a packed Staples Center. The Americans haven’t lost a game since the 2006 world championships. They’re 47-1 in exhibitions since NBA stars took over the roster in 1992, going undefeated since 2004. Anthony was the only holdover in the Americans’ starting lineup from Las Vegas. Krzyzewski put Paul George in with Anthony, Jordan, Kyle Lowry and DeRozan, whose family watched from courtside. Jordan got the exhibition off to a rousing start with a blocked shot on China’s first possession and an alley-oop dunk on the other end for the Americans’ first points. Both teams had early shooting struggles, but the Americans took charge with impressive speed late in the first quarter. Durant, one of the two returning American gold medalists from London, heard boos from the LA crowd during pregame introductions. He quickly found his outside stroke with 14 points and four assists in the first half, and Cousins overpowered the Chinese down low for 12 first-half points on the way to a 55-29 halftime lead. The Chinese team’s most recognizable name to North Americans is Yi Jianlian, the Milwaukee Bucks’ choice with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2007 draft. He spent five seasons with four NBA teams before heading back to the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Yi led the Chinese with 18 points. Zhou Qi, the 7-foot-2 center drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round last month, scored two points on 1- for-6 shooting. Exciting guard Zhao Jiwei scored 14 points. The teams meet again Tuesday in Oakland, where Durant will play in front of his new home fans for the first time since defecting from Oklahoma City to the Golden State Warriors earlier this month. They’ll also meet Aug. 6 in the opening game of Olympic competition in Brazil. Durant leads US to second exhibition rout, 106-57 over China cbs46.com 2016-07-25 12:01 Associated Press sports.inquirer.net
5 'Like a Freight Train': California Wildfire Guts 18 Homes (1.02/2) Flames raced down a steep hillside "like a freight train," leaving smoldering remains of homes and forcing thousands to flee the wildfire churning through tinder-dry canyons in Southern California , authorities said Sunday. The fire that has destroyed at least 18 homes in northern Los Angeles County gained ferocious new power two days after it broke out, sending so much smoke in the air that planes making drops on it had to be grounded for part of the afternoon. "For this time of year, it's the most extreme fire behavior I've seen in my 32- year career," County fire Chief Daryl Osby said. About 300 miles up the coast, crews were battling another fire spanning more than 17 square miles that destroyed six homes on Sunday and forced evacuations outside the scenic Big Sur region. The Southern California blaze has blackened at least 46 square miles of brush on ridgelines near the city of Santa Clarita. Osby said the size estimate could grow considerably once better assessment is done. Planes were unable to make drops over the fire for a long stretch of the afternoon before resuming for a few hours before dusk. Helicopters released retardant around the perimeter of the fire all day and would continue into the night. "The fire's just doing what it wants right now," U. S. Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy said. "We have to stick back, let it do what it wants to and attack it where we can. " Juliet Kinikin said Sunday there was panic as the sky became dark with smoke and flames moved closer to her home a day earlier in the Sand Canyon area of Los Angeles County. "And then we just focused on what really mattered in the house," she told The Associated Press. Kinikin grabbed important documents and fled with her husband, two children, two dogs and three birds. They were back at home Sunday, "breathing a big sigh of relief," she said. Residents of thousands of homes were evacuated as shifting winds were pushing flames northeast through Angeles National Forest, authorities said. Lois Wash, 87, said she and her daughter and her dog evacuated, but her husband refused. "My husband's stubborn as a mule, and he wouldn't leave," Wash told KABC-TV. "I don't know if he got out of there or not. There's no way of knowing. I think the last time I looked it was about 100 yards from us. I don't know if our house is still standing or not. All we can do is pray. " The fire has ripped through brush withered by days of 100-degree temperatures and years of drought. "It started consuming houses that were non-defendable," Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp said, describing the flames as charging through terrain "like a freight train. " More than 1,600 firefighters were battling the flames that sent up a huge plume of smoke visible across the region. The body of a man was discovered Saturday in a burned sedan outside a home in the fire zone. Los Angeles County sheriff's officials are investigating the death. The fire destroyed film sets at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, which has Old West-style buildings used for movie locations. It also forced a nonprofit sanctuary for rescued exotic creatures to evacuate 340 of its more than 400 animals, including Bengal tigers and a mountain lion. North on the Central Coast, a blaze consuming brush in rugged mountains near Big Sur was threatening about 1,650 homes. It burned in inaccessible terrain 5 miles south of Garrapata State Park and forced the communities of Palo Colorado and Carmel Highlands to evacuate, California's forestry department said. Brock Bradford lives in a historic house in Palo Colorado and could see the flames coming down the road as he evacuated. "I hope I don't have to rebuild my house," he told the Monterey Herald. "I'm 66. " ——— Associated Press photographer Matt Hartman in Santa Clarita and writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report. ——— This story has been corrected to show that Wildlife Waystation evacuated animals from early Friday to late Saturday, not over the course of Saturday.
'Like a freight train': California wildfire guts 18 homes chicago.suntimes.com 2016-07-25 12:01 By abcnews.go.com
6 Of the People Mayor Shirley Franklin started a program in the city of Atlanta in which every single student who graduated from a public school, she’d find a way to pay for their first year of college. And, after hearing my story, she took an interest in me. She gave me a job in her office and she helped me get into college. Summer came, and I didn’t go to work because I didn’t have a suit. I got a call saying, “You need to get to work,” and she had someone take me suit shopping. They took me and bought me like five different suits and said, “This is how you invest in your kids.” I’m the first person in my family to graduate from college. That is the kind of local politics I grew to love in Atlanta. National politics is more messy. But I have hope that is going to change. Photograph by Ryan Stone for The New York Times
2016-07-25 12:01 The New www.nytimes.com
7 ISIS fighters captured while fleeing besieged town dressed as women (VIDEO) — RT News The men, dressed in full black veils, attempted to blend in with civilians fleeing the northern city, after coalition forces issued an order to leave Manbij within two days. Footage of the three men was published online by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday, which consists of predominantly Kurdish fighters. The video begins with the men sitting in front of the opposition fighters, with their faces still covered. They are then shown walking with their face veils removed, and eventually stripping down to their underwear. One of the captured fighters said he was a sniper, according to Storyful news verification service, as cited by Middle East Eye. The attempted escape came after the Manbij Military Council (MMC) – part of the SDF - gave IS fighters 48 hours to leave the strategic town with their “individual weapons” on Thursday, saying that was their last chance to leave alive. "This initiative is the last remaining chance for besieged members of Daesh [Arabic acronym for IS] to leave the town,” the MMC said, as quoted by AFP. Most IS fighters ignored the warning, remaining in the city and using civilians as human shields. Ahead of the 48-hour warning, at least 56 civilians were allegedly killed by coalition airstrikes in Manbij, located in the east of Aleppo province. Reports of the civilian casualties prompted the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) to urge the US-led coalition to suspend its aerial campaign against IS. Manbij is situated on a key supply route to the IS stronghold of Raqqa, and is therefore seen as a highly-strategic city in the fight against the terror group. It's not the first time IS fighters were found attempting to escape an area dressed as women. In February, fighters fleeing Ramadi were captured despite wearing burqas and made-up faces. At least 250,000 people have been killed and 12 million displaced since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, according to UN figures.
2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
8 Munich gunman planned attack for year, left manifesto – police — RT News Follow RT's LIVE UPDATES The prosecutor’s office announced the news in a statement on Sunday. It added that the victims in the shooting were not classmates of the shooter. They were subsequently discovered to have been children of immigrants. According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the shooter identified by police as David Sonboly, 18, bought the illegal weapon he used online. The Glock was bought through Darknet – the concealed area of the internet accessed normally by a minority of people looking for illegal services or items. The first to identify Sonboly was his own father. He was the one who contacted the police after seeing a video filmed by one of the witnesses, as the attack was in progress. German media reported that Sonboly had some problems socializing with peers and had failed a college exam on the very day of the tragedy. According to Bild am Sonntag, Sonboly’s issues extended to being bullied by some classmates, particularly of Turkish and Arabic descent. According to one Bavarian official, the young shooter visited the site of a 2009 school shooting in southwest Germany that killed 15 people - an event that served as inspiration for the attack. Several years ago, Sonboly had also been mugged and beaten, being injured in the attack. Sonboly who was then still a boy, went to the police. Further details obtained by the German paper reveal that he also suffered from attention deficit hyperactive disorder – a condition commonly known as ADHD, its authenticity sometimes debated in the medical community. And on Saturday it was reported that Ali was obsessed with mass shootings. Police earlier speculated about the young German-Iranian’s fascination with Norwegian killer Anders Breivik, the neo-Nazi who claimed 77 lives in a shooting rampage several years back. It was speculated if the manifesto found at the scene of Sonboly's crime had matched Breivik's, but the police denied any connection. Sonboly had used a hacked Facebook profile to lure victims to their deaths with McDonald’s food. People have been coming to the scene of the shooting to pay their respects, lay flowers and light candles for the victims of the shooting in which nine people were killed and a further 35 injured. Sonboly’s body was later discovered at the scene. He had committed suicide.
2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
9 Spectator attempts to snatch ‘cursed’ Olympic torch from Brazilian relay (VIDEO) — RT Sport The torch was believed to have been carried by hockey player Patricia de Albuquerque when the unidentified man made his attempt to grab it. Dressed in black, he can be seen attempting to break through the human barricade of at least 10 security officials surrounding the torch bearer. The would-be torch-grabber is quickly dragged to the ground before police take him away and arrest him. READ MORE: Blaze of glory? Olympic torch bearer falls flat while running for Rio (VIDEO) One security official was injured in the failed attempt to seize the torch. Brazilians have called the Olympic torch “cursed” online after several controversial incidents during its relay. Last month a jaguar used in a torch relay ceremony was shot dead after escaping and only a week ago a torch bearer was attacked by a man with a fire extinguisher. The torch is due to reach Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium on August 5 where it will kick-off an Olympics that has been steeped in controversy since its conception. Brazil is currently experiencing a recession and a recent poll revealed that 63 percent of citizens surveyed believe the games will bring more harm than good. Several athletes have pulled out of the games due to concerns over the Zika virus. The World Health Organization rejected a call to move the sporting event after over 100 leading scientists advised them it would be “unethical” not to due to the virus. READ MORE: World no. 1 golfer Jason Day withdraws from Rio Olympics over Zika virus fears
2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
10 Dignitaries arrive in Mthatha for opening of revamped Madiba Museum When the 2017 Hyundai Genesis G80 goes on sale this fall it will do so as a car with more passenger space than a Mercedes E Class, more horsepower than a Cadillac CTS and with a raft of active safety systems as standard that even Volvo S90 drivers are offered as...
2016-07-25 12:01 Sikho Ntshobane www.timeslive.co.za
11 Kansas attorney-general sues DoD over Guantanamo Bay relocation records — RT America Attorney-General Derek Schmidt filed the lawsuit in federal court in Topeka, Kansas, on Friday, according to AP. "Our concerns are heightened because the administration admits it has the records we requested and initially promised to produce them, but now are inexplicably dragging their feet until after the November election," Schmidt said in a statement. "We are seeking some court-ordered sunshine now to discourage mischief later in the final weeks before the president leaves office. " Schmidt's office said a freedom of information request was filed in December to obtain documents related to Barrack Obama's proposal to relocate inmates from Gitmo to the Army prison in Kansas. Last year, the Defense Department surveyed seven potential sites for housing Guantanamo prisoners, including Fort Leavenworth - despite Obama's campaign promise to close the controversial prison being repeatedly blocked by Congress. In May, US Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) said a senior Pentagon official told him that no Guantanamo inmates would be sent to Fort Leavenworth or other facilities. However, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said he stressed to Roberts that the Obama Administration had not taken any location off the table. Obama's proposal has seen wide bipartisan opposition in Kansas, with the state's majority Republican legislature adopting a resolution decrying it in March. The Kansas Senate's eight Democrats also sent a letter to Obama stressing their opposition to moving terrorism suspects to Fort Leavenworth. However, the lawsuit isn't supported by everyone in Kansas. State Rep. Jim Ward, a Democrat, said that although he opposes the proposal, “it's disappointing [Schmidt is] using state resources we don't have on a political lawsuit.” Just last month, Obama said his administration would not issue an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay, according to a report which claimed that officials deemed such a solution unviable. Expressing disappointment that the infamous facility remains open, Obama said in March 2015 that if he could return to the first days of his presidency, he would close the prison immediately. “I think I would have closed Guantanamo on the first day,” Obama said at the time. "I didn’t at that time because we had a bipartisan agreement that it should be closed. "
2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
12 Dismiss DA’s dated advert complaint‚ City of Joburg urges IEC That’s the gist of the city’s argument in its call on Thursday to “the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to dismiss the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) false and mischievous allegations of misappropriation of public funds to campaign for the African National Congress (ANC)”. The DA had‚ earlier this month‚ appeared to put the IEC on notice to act on its complaint about taxpayers’ money seemingly being used for electioneering‚ saying its advertisements “specifically endorse” mayor Parks Tau. “We are confident that the IEC will accede to our request‚ but if it fails or refuses to do so we will seek other legal avenues to compel adherence to the Electoral Code‚” DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said at the time. Tau’s spokesperson Phindile Chauke noted on Thursday: “At the centre of the political party’s complaint is an advert of the City of Johannesburg’s milestones and achievements…with the tagline: ‘Clearly‚ the City of Johannesburg is in good hands’.” The advert‚ Chauke added‚ “was designed to instill confidence among Johannesburg residents‚ investors and potential investors”. “The advert is a mere standard and annual communication of successes and achievements of the previous financial year of a metropolitan municipality led by a competent administration - with a visionary and strategic council and an executive led by Mayor Parks Tau.” Chauke said the ad was first distributed as early as March 3 “long before the date of the local government elections was announced…by President Jacob Zuma‚ on 6 April 2016 and published in a government gazette of 23 May 2016”. “Clearly the DA failed to lodge a complaint in March 2016 and waited until July 2016. On this basis alone‚ the complaint is indeed with unwarranted malicious intent against the City and its leadership‚” said Chauke. “It is disingenuous of the DA - having failed to discredit Mayor Tau against his strong record of service delivery in the past five years - to resort to dragging the IEC into its desperate campaign to mislead Johannesburg residents.” Selfe had said earlier this month that “Tau is currently the mayor of Johannesburg‚ but he is also an ANC candidate in the coming municipal election”‚ and “any reasonable listener would conclude that the advertisement is only aimed at influencing the outcome of the election in Johannesburg‚ by promoting the candidature of Tau and the ANC”.
2016-07-25 12:01 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za
13 DA: ‘ANC candidates list represents corruption‚ declining service delivery and unemployment’ “The ANC cannot bring the change South Africa needs‚ because it is more concerned with putting allies of Jacob Zuma in top mayoral positions. Zuma's pals will‚ like the President‚ put self-enrichment first and the people last‚” DA spokesperson Phumzile Van Damme said in a statement on Sunday. The DA has accused Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Danny Jordaan of being a “part-time Mayor of broken promises after having faked the launch of a Metro Police‚ introducing 21‚000 more NMB residents to the ranks of the unemployed since December 2015 and losing over R320 million to leaks and electricity theft in the last 9 months. “Additionally‚ Jordaan's criminal pal Linda Mti was recently appointed to the Head of Safety and Security‚” said Van Damme. “In five years Mayor Parks Tau has overseen unemployment in Johannesburg rise to 869‚000. At the same time conditions in the informal settlements of Johannesburg have deteriorated to where the SA Human Rights Commission is now investigating the Johannesburg ANC government for human rights abuses. That the ANC wants to give Tau another term in government shows that the ANC doesn't take service delivery and stopping corruption seriously. “In Tshwane‚ the failure to reaffirm Mayor [Kgosientso “Sputla’] Ramokgopa shows that the ANC recognises that he and his ANC government have failed to deliver‚ including Sputla's PEU smart-meter Billion Rand scandal‚ unlawful broadband contracts‚ undrinkable water in Hammanskraal with 40‚000 more people joining the ranks of the unemployed in Tshwane since January 2016.” The DA said the ANC's inability to select a Tshwane candidate shows “a fractured and broken ANC in Tshwane”. “The voters cannot place trust in a party that fails to even agree on a suitable candidate for Mayor because it is so fractured and factionalised”. Van Damme added that the DA is ready to bring real change to Nelson Mandela Bay‚ Tshwane‚ Johannesburg‚ Ekurhuleni and many other places across the country. “This is the change that will stop corruption‚ deliver better services and create jobs. This is the change we need to move our country forward again.”
2016-07-25 12:01 Nomahlubi Jordaan www.timeslive.co.za
14 Lack of Parliament antics sees EFF’s media profile dip: survey The wrong reason for the ruling party paid off for the official opposition‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA). That Parliament is not in session curtailed the impression the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) made. Those are some of the key findings of Basemedia’s “political tracker” for June. “The violence is Tshwane significantly elevated the ANC’s media profile but also contributed to negativity on the organisation‚” the survey found. It said that “Thoko Didiza emerged as one of the ANC’s most visible members after she was announced as mayoral candidate for Tshwane”‚ but noted that both she and incumbent mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa “faced negativity as a result of the violence that followed the announcement”. The research note‚ however‚ that the party was “gradually able to move away from the critical coverage as the party deployed senior leaders on the campaign trail”. The tracker suggested that the DA had profited from the ANC’s trouble in the country’s capital as the “media reflected on the internal strengths of the DA and the manner in which the party had chosen its candidates”. It also said the DA and leader Mmusi Maimane had scored from the “Jobs not jets” campaign about its disapproval of the widely reported R4-billion price tag for a new presidential aircraft. EFF leader Julius Malema‚ on the other hand‚ “struggled to have any high- impact media exposure” other than that which was “generated…after he stated that ‘South Africa would be a boring place without whites’ ”. The researchers noted that “past analysis has shown that one of the biggest drivers for the EFF has been because of the organisation’s behaviour in Parliament”. “However‚ with Parliament now in recess‚ the EFF has struggled to get media to focus significantly on the party’s local election campaigning.” The study also found that Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi “advanced his media profile while speaking at the IFP’s manifesto launch” in uMlazi‚ during which he acknowledged that his party had lost ground‚ but had regrouped and focused itself for the August 3 municipal polls.
2016-07-25 12:01 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za
15 Watch: Meet the man who Zuma’s guards can’t turn away Collen has attended almost every African National Congress (ANC) election manifesto launch in the country. His love for the ANC and Zuma has earned him benefits that very few citizens enjoy. He is always able to push through presidential protection guards and get his hug from the president. “I have told them before that this is my friend‚ they should allow him through‚” Zuma once remarked. The president occasionally gives Collen a R100 note to note his appreciation and they have a cordial relationship when they meet‚ greeting each other warmly. The president gives him a beaming smile‚ a handshake and a hug. Collen‚ 32‚ of Orange Farm‚ lives with his two brothers Gontse‚ 31‚ and Taelo‚ 43‚ on Kopano Street. ANC councillor Simon Motha introduced TMG Digital to his brothers. It was about 10am‚ and Collen was not around‚ but his brothers welcomed us into their home. They advised that he was likely to be at Orange Farm Mall‚ so we set off to look for him. As we walked through the mall‚ it was apparent that every cashier‚ security guard and other centre employees know him well. “We love him. Everybody loves him. He is a lovely kid‚” said one of the cashiers at KFC. His favourite place at the mall is the Thetha FM studios. “We put him on air. Everybody in Orange Farm adores him. He normally greets the listeners and says what is on his mind. He can say anything. It's Collen. He is allowed to do so‚” said administrators at the radio station. He is so famous that taxi drivers allow him free rides when he wants to go to Soweto‚ Johannesburg‚ and Lenasia from Orange Farm‚ which is in the south‚ 45km from the Joburg city centre. He also does not buy a ticket to get onto the train. The reason: “Everybody loves him”. Finally we meet Collen at the mall. He has a wide smile and projects positive energy. “Are we going to meet President Zuma? Why‚ therefore‚ are you looking for me?” he asked with a firm handshake. Taelo informed him that journalists are here to talk to him. He then asked if he was going to be on TV. His brothers only reply: “You are going to be famous”. He then kept quiet but walked faster than all of us as we head back to the car. Despite being such a well-known persona in his home town‚ Collen lives a life of destitution. The four-roomed house he shares with his brothers appears to be well- maintained - until you get inside. The kitchen cupboards are worn out‚ allowing you to see the emptiness inside. The best item is the microwave. There is no fridge. The sitting room is in equally poor condition. An old cupboard stands where the television set should be and the sofas show the years. Motha left us at the house with James Mofokeng to help with Setswana translation. Collen’s two brothers said they love him so much and have a sense of pride in his popularity. “I don’t know why but people love Collen. Some people here in Orange Farm have a framed picture of him on their walls. We have allowed him to be himself‚” Taelo explained as he sat us down. Collen does speak English but converses more freely in Setswana. We gave him a chance to say something to his favourite person‚ Zuma‚ on camera.: "It’s me‚ Kwenza‚ you know me‚ I am your friend. I am pleading with you‚ President Zuma‚ to please fix my home and build me a double-storey house so that I be can like everyone else. I am with my young brothers‚ I want a TV and to make this house a double-storey so that it can be like other houses. I want you to buy me building bricks and fix here so that when you come here to Orange Farm‚ they will know that you are my friend. Please fix my room and my bathroom; I don’t even have a bathroom. You know me. I am your friend and a number one ANC member. Please come here and build me a double-storey. " After the video‚ Taelo explained the family’s story. Their parents moved from Soweto to Orange Farm in the late 1980s. Their mother died in 2004 and their father in 2006. This left the brothers with the responsibility of caring for Collen. Their two sisters are both living with their husbands. The closest one is in Soweto. Collen visits her quite often. Taelo’s tone of voice changed when he spoke about the struggle for food in the house. “We do eat‚” he said. Gontse interjected‚ as if he wanted the truth to come out. “It is a hustle for us to get food. We are really struggling. Nobody is working and we don’t have anything to eat tonight‚” Gontse said. All this time‚ Collen was strangely silent. Then I asked the brothers‚ what is the one thing that I could buy for them at the mall. “Fish oil‚” Taelo said‚ and Collen got really upset. “No. No fish oil. We need a television set. Just a television set. Let us go now and buy it‚” Collen said in a high tone. His brother calmed him down and started to explain. The three brothers have not had a television set for years. One of the neighbours‚ who is a technician‚ has offered to sell them the set for just R150‚ but no one has that kind of money here. In the house there isn’t even a radio and none of the guys have an ID. They just enjoy basic electricity and water. Taelo travels to Malvern‚ in eastern Joburg‚ to work as a car guard but makes too little to meet every need in the house. I offered to buy them a meal at the mall and Collen proposed his favourite restaurant: KFC. As we left the house‚ the man who is selling the television set showed up. He was going about his own business but Collen ran to him and grabbed him by the arm‚ refusing to let him go. “This is him. He has the TV. Give him the money now. Let’s go get the TV.” The brothers calmed him down again. In the midst of the drama‚ Councillor Motha passed by in his ML Mercedes- Benz SUV. He reduced his speed‚ greeted us and drove off. Back at the mall‚ Collen ordered three pieces of chicken‚ chips and a coke. He then asked us to leave the restaurant to get the fish oil. We headed to the supermarket and when we came back‚ he was gone. Taelo decided to go look for him while we had lunch with Gontse. He opened up about the life at home. “It is not easy taking care of my brother but I love him. He is just an exciting guy. He leaves in the morning at 7am. I make sure that he baths and eats before he leaves. He leaves and goes to the mall‚ talking to people and he has friends everywhere. He also spends a lot of time at Thetha FM. They love him at the studio and even put him live on air to say whatever comes to his mind.” When their mother was alive‚ she made sure that Collen took his psychiatric medication and he had a close relationship with her. “My mother loved him more than anything in the world and Collen knew it. When she passed on‚ he struggled to live without her. He then refused to take his medication. But I can’t talk much about that part of our life‚” Gontse said‚ holding back the tears in his eyes. Collen is also a big friend of Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau and has met former president Thabo Mbeki too. But there are other problems on Collen’s doorstep. At 1pm‚ wheelie bins were still lined up on the streets and refuse had not been collected. Some portions of the area have not had water for more than a week. Most of the people living in Orange Farm work elsewhere‚ as there are little to no local job opportunities. Those who cannot find employment like Gontse and Taelo are left on the streets. “Things are getting bad now. We are seeing more boys in our street smoking nyaope. They don’t have jobs so they steal anything they can get‚” Gontse said. Nineteen percent of households have no income at all in Orange Farm‚ according to Statistics SA. The data shows the area has a total population of 76 767 and a dependency ratio of nearly 50%. Residents do have basic services like electricity‚ which have been rolled out by government‚ but poor education levels affect economic prospects. Collen and his brothers are amongst many in the City of Johannesburg who are hoping that things will improve for them after the August 3 local government elections. “We hope that somebody will see our story and help us with something. We are really battling‚” Taelo said as he waved goodbye.
2016-07-25 12:01 Penwell Dlamini www.timeslive.co.za
16 1 dead, multiple casualties reported at Doubles bar — RT America Police were dispatched to Doubles bar and nightclub at around 2am local time on Sunday, Dayton Daily News reported. The person killed was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released, as police are in the process of contacting family members. The gunman reportedly exited the bar through a back door and is on the run, NBC affiliate WLWT reported. Police Chief Craig Bucheit said investigators are still working to determine the exact number of victims. Some were transported to hospitals by the local fire department, while others drove themselves. He went on to state that the motive and number of shooters is so far unclear. Witness Tolu Adeseha said he was inside the bar when he heard at least 15 shots go on for what " felt like hours. " “It reminded me of things in the news, about people shooting and active shooters,” he said. “This [was] a reality for me, what do you do in an active situation.” Adeseha said he saw multiple people with guns, but did not see anyone fire the weapons. “You [had] people trying to play dead and things like that,” he said. “This is an active shooter and I was trying to tell a girl [next to me], you can’t cry, I know it’s traumatic for you, but you got to stay silent or play dead.” Officers found shell casings both inside and outside the bar, WCPO reported. Initial reports indicated that at least two people had been shot, with potentially more victims. The site has been cordoned off by authorities. Acknowledging that previous violence has taken place at the bar, Bucheit said: “What happened tonight tonight is unacceptable and we’re going to work with management and ownership to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Doubles bar was also the scene of a double shooting in August 2015.
2016-07-25 12:01 www.rt.com
17 Trump: France, Germany compromised by terrorism Donald Trump has suggested terrorist attacks in France and Germany were their "own fault" and citizens of those "compromised" countries could be subject to "extreme vetting" before entering the US.
2016-07-25 12:01 © The www.timeslive.co.za
18 There's no place to hide in Sevens rugby Five teams have strong hopes of winning the gold medal, and five others could beat them in any match. It will be, in my admittedly biased opinion, the highlight of the Games because the sport is so "volatile", the result so uncertain, often until the very final act of the match. I remember being concerned that Sevens' Olympic inclusion might actually undermine it. I was fortunate enough to work with Paul Treu during the maturation phase of our Sevens strategy from 2008 to 2012, and Rio 2016 was a variable we considered both a threat and an opportunity. The appeal of an Olympic medal meant that superstars from the major rugby nations might have swept in for the week of the Olympics, soaked up the spotlight, and then left again, leaving behind a version of the sport that was, by the arithmetic of casual observers, "lessened" by their transient appearance in it. Were that to happen, it would undermine the efforts made by Sevens teams in the intervening four years - it would be analogous to pulling your luxury sports car out of the garage for a weekend once every four years, then locking it away and hoping your four-door family sedan turned heads the same way. The only way to prevent this, we knew back then, was for Sevens to evolve enough that it became so specialised that the addition of even the best players from XVs would do little to the performance of teams. Sevens had to be too distinct to allow "rugby-hopping" to occur. My strong impression is that this has, in fact, happened. Or is happening. Yes, certain teams, including South Africa, have strengthened their squads with the targeted addition of international players, but anyone who thought they could throw XVs superstars onto a field of Sevens players and dominate has been exposed. The Blitzboks under Neil Powell formulated a calendar that gave them access to certain players in certain "windows" so they could adapt to the speed and technical nuances of the game. But even this process has "failed" more than it succeeded, and of the 10 or so players who came into the Blitzbok training environment, one, perhaps two, will make the final cut. Quade Cooper couldn't make the switch for Australia, and Sonny Bill Williams has been patchy for New Zealand, who have also added the Ioane brothers, and Liam Messam, but still rely heavily on their historical Sevens specialists. I'm now confident that Sevens requires a set of skills specific enough that any team that suddenly picks players, however stellar their reputation in XVs rugby, would be worse off. The transition is so difficult because Sevens is not simply a version of rugby lacking forward packs. Decision-making at rucks is at a premium because so much more space has to be covered per player. Agility and lateral mobility are more forensically examined (something that has affected Williams in particular), as are basic skills like passing to both sides and one-on-one tackling. The lack of space in XVs allows players with limitations to "hide", whereas such inadequacies are exposed in Sevens. This doesn't even consider the physical demands of Sevens - the ratio of sprints and fast running to rest is completely different, and few XVs players can handle it without a period of some adaptation. None of this is to say that Sevens is the finished article - no doubt the best XVs internationals would make exceptional Sevens players, given sufficient cross-over time. But the specialisation of Sevens is an encouraging sign, and the respect and recognition given to the Sevens specialists is growing, rightly, in proportion to the technical and tactical evolution of the sport. That this coincides with the commercial growth of Sevens, the expansion of the Series to 10 tournaments, means that Rio will be a leap forward, and the only threat now, at least to a South African observer, is that the sport evolves so quickly it leaves us behind.
2016-07-25 12:01 Prof Ross www.timeslive.co.za
19 19 Municipalities think protesters are ‘criminals’‚ but ISS says name-calling isn’t wise South African Local Government Association (Salga) policy analyst Justin Steyn revealed this at an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) seminar. Steyn was quoting the findings of a 2016 SALGA survey that aims to uncover the perceptions of municipalities in metropolitan‚ local and district municipalities in Gauteng‚ the Western Cape‚ Mpumalanga and Limpopo around protests. Steyn said that local governments perceive protesters to be mainly young and unemployed. In the survey municipalities said that 69.5% of protesters were between the ages of 18 and 35 and 71% of protesters were unemployed. Many municipalities interviewed also raised concern of crime in protests with 14.4% of protesters perceived to be criminals. Some answers from municipalities said: - “There is a criminal element that emerges from protest action.” - “Shops were looted by hooligans that were attached to the protest.” - "There is a criminal element and opportunism‚ like when there is a strike by informal traders to claim a market space‚ there will be elements that loot. It starts of (sic) as service delivery but degenerates into looting.” Steyn also said that local governments found that communities were service-hungry and that service delivery was sometimes used as an excuse for a protest by those with ulterior motives. But manager of the ISS Crime and Justice Information Hub Lizette Lancaster said it was not wise to point fingers at so-called criminals. “We have to be careful in calling people criminals. Society makes criminals. There is international research that shows we have the potential to be criminals… We need to stop with name-calling‚” she said. Nomfundo Mogapi‚ director of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation‚ said that the root causes of protests need to be addressed. She said that some of these are poverty‚ unemployment and inequality which speak to the livelihoods‚ dignity and sense of self-worth of people.
2016-07-25 12:01 Roxanne Henderson www.timeslive.co.za
20 Kaizer, Iron Duke show maturity He was addressing the unrest among United fans, the privileged millions who have little idea of what it is to have "a couple of years on the quiet side of success" (the last piece of silverware was the 2013 season- opening Community Shield). What a shot in the arm, then, for incumbent Louis van Gaal (who was tasked with righting Moyes' wrongs), to have Fergie, a demigod in European football and the man who was at the helm for 26-and-a-half years; the man who brought unprecedented success to the club, earning himself post-retirement statues, a stand at Old Trafford named after him and a series of business masterclasses at Harvard University, to fight in his corner. There aren't too many right now. It has been particularly refreshing, then, to see that our two biggest clubs - Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates - who have been overshadowed by Mamelodi Sundowns this season, take a more mature view of their current struggles than their restless followers. Kaizer Motaung could have listened to the outcry over Chiefs' two cup final defeats under coach Steve Komphela - and early exits from the CAF Champions League and the Nedbank Cup at the hands of Orlando Pirates - and axed Komphela less than 10 months into the job. With a lack of obvious candidates strong enough to assume the massive role of head coach at Naturena, Motaung would presumably have turned to club icon Doctor Khumalo to see out the rest of the season; like Ryan Giggs after Moyes' sacking. Giggs had the benefit of learning under Ferguson (who has mentioned that Giggs would have been his successor had he retired earlier) and carried on the philosophy the club has been known for for decades. Khumalo wouldn't have enjoyed a similar education, even though he has worked with Championship-winning Stuart Baxter. Motaung's statements this week were the absolute antithesis of the modern- day rhetoric about sacking coaches at the earliest possible opportunity. "Our supporters take it too far, instead of giving the coach time. In fact, when the team is not doing well that's when you want the supporters rallying behind them. "If you are a chairman of a club, you must act like a leader. A leader must not be lost with the crowd, otherwise the whole thing collapses," argued the boss. Of course the same stance does not apply to the country's prevailing political climate; ahem, Mr Gwede Mantashe. Nor did it apply to the impasse at Chelsea during the first third of the English Premier League, when Jose Mourinho seemed to be burning bridges with all and sundry at Stamford Bridge. Situations vary. Motaung acknowledged that Amakhosi will have to be content with playing bridesmaid this time around, and that the squad needs sprucing up, with a few of the players on the wrong side of 30. That's leadership. And as clueless as Van Gaal and United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward seem to be when it comes to recruitment policy, look at how the introduction of youngsters such as Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard et al, have brought some feel-good back to Old Trafford. The Iron Duke at Orlando Pirates appears to be taking a similar approach to the Kaizer, trusting Eric Tinkler to lay foundations for future success. One hopes this is a sign that people are finally using their brains rather than bowing to the howling of the fans.
2016-07-25 12:01 Andile Ndlovu www.timeslive.co.za
21 Obama aide visits China after South China Sea ruling BEIJING — US National Security Adviser Susan Rice was in Beijing on Monday for talks with Chinese officials in the highest-level visit by a White House official since an international tribunal issued a ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. The tribunal’s July 12 ruling delivered a victory to the Philippines, a US ally, but angered China and appears set to heighten regional tensions. The US, whose Navy patrols the waters, has called on China to abide by the ruling while also urging calm. READ: US, China Navy chiefs set for fresh talks on South China Sea The topic was not raised in opening remarks in front of reporters at Rice’s meeting with China’s top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi. On Monday, Rice told Yang that the US and China have been cooperating more closely on global issues such as nuclear nonproliferation and the Ebola epidemic. She acknowledged that the sides also faced other “global issues and challenges.” “To the extent that we are able to surface those challenges in candor and openness, I’m confident that we will be able to work on them as we have many others in the past,” Rice said. Yang said that the sides had stable relations, but that there were still differences that had to be carefully managed. RELATED STORIES South China Sea ruling deepens tensions between US, China US urges respect for South China Sea ruling
2016-07-25 12:01 Associated Press globalnation.inquirer.net
22 Arroyo: ‘I must be last victim’ of political persecution Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared herself a victim of political persecution, following her release from nearly five years in detention over a corruption case. In her first public comments since being freed from a military hospital on Thursday after the Supreme Court dismissed plunder charges against her, Arroyo insisted her detention was “unjust”. The court found “insufficient evidence” to accuse her of stealing 366 million pesos in state lottery funds meant for charity programs while she was in office between 2001 and 2010. “This whole thing of (using) political power to persecute political enemies, this must stop. I must be the last victim,” Arroyo told ABS- CBN television over the weekend. “I don’t wish what happened to me on my worst enemies.” READ: Arroyo walks free after 4 yrs of hospital detention Arroyo was jailed in 2011 under the administration of then president Benigno Aquino III, who sought to make his predecessor a high-profile scalp of his anti-corruption campaign. Firebrand leader Rodrigo Duterte succeeded Aquino in June, and offered to pardon Arroyo. Aquino had questioned the decision to free Arroyo, saying she must be held accountable for misusing funds intended for the poor. READ: Aquino questions SC ruling, says Arroyo accountable for PCSO case The daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal, Arroyo said her family also experienced persecution when rivals went after her father’s allies. “I’m not saying that political figures should be immune from prosecution. What I’m saying is that the process should be fair and even-handed,” she said. Despite her detention, Arroyo retained her seat in the House of Representatives in May elections, winning a third three-year term as a congresswoman representing her family’s stronghold in Pampanga. Arroyo returned to Congress on Monday to hear Duterte’s address to the legislature and to attend the opening of parliament. The former President, who suffers from a spinal illness, wore a neck brace to Congress. She said she plans to go abroad to seek medical treatment. READ: Arroyo back to work in Congress for Duterte’s SONA Arroyo faced various corruption controversies during her presidency. She was initially arrested on charges of electoral sabotage for allegedly conspiring with election officials to rig the 2007 senatorial polls. Because of her condition, the government allowed her to be detained in a military hospital. She was granted bail for the vote-rigging case in July 2012 after the court — while not dismissing the charge — ruled evidence against her was weak. But the corruption case against Arroyo was lodged the same year, keeping her in detention. The Ombudsman said last week it was preparing another corruption charge against her. /rga RELATED VIDEO
2016-07-25 12:01 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
23 ‘Pokemon Go’ players stumble on hidden history PROVIDENCE, R. I. — Historical markers have long dotted the landscape, often barely noticed by passers-by — until they became treasure-filled stops this month on the “Pokemon Go” trail. Players hunting for fictional creatures on their smartphones are now visiting real-life memorial plaques, statues, mosaics and landmarks, ranging from a Civil War battlefield in Chancellorsville, Virginia, to a Hells Angels clubhouse on New Zealand’s North Island. Some don’t bother to linger at these Pokestops, staying just long enough to stock up on the virtual balls they’ll use to bonk and capture the next Pokemon. But for others, the GPS-powered “augmented reality” game is heightening awareness of the history and geography of their neighborhoods. “Before I was just going from Point A to Point B, but now I’m learning things,” said 15-year-old Jaiden Cruz as he walked by a plaque Wednesday in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, marking where Abraham Lincoln spoke at an old railroad hall in 1860. The plaque is a Pokestop, and shortly before Cruz arrived, another player dropped a “lure module” that attracts Pokemon to the site. The 380-year-old city abounds with Pokestops, including the nation’s oldest Baptist church — founded by religious dissident Roger Williams in 1638 — and a stone marking where French troops camped during the Revolutionary War. “It gets you to learn about your surroundings,” said 59-year-old Cheryl DiMarzio, who on the advice of her daughter ventured into an urban park to capture an owl-like Pidgey and some purple rodent Rattatas. “Different landmarks, the statues and historical places.” How such markers became the backbone of the wildly popular video game that launched this month is a story that goes back at least five years, when tech giant Google signed a licensing agreement to use The Historical Marker Database , a volunteer-run website that has tracked the geographic coordinates of more than 80,000 historical markers around the world, most of them in the United States. READ: Pokemon fans detained after wandering over US-Canada border J. J. Prats, founder and publisher of the Virginia-based marker database, said many but not all the Pokestops and Pokemon gyms — where players send their creatures into battle — are from his website. He’s thrilled. “Hopefully people will take their eyes off the phone and read the historical markers,” Prats said. The game has delighted Anthony Golding, a middle school history teacher in Tupelo, Mississippi, who is looking forward to incorporating Pokestops into his curriculum in the fall. He has replenished his Pokemon wares where the Civil War’s Battle of Tupelo was fought, at monuments to Civil Rights Movement figures, and at a pedestal that holds the Tupelo Meteorite. But Elvis Presley holds the monopoly on Tupelo’s Pokestops, from his birthplace to the Main Street store where he got his first guitar. “Pretty much every Elvis landmark has a Pokestop devoted to it,” Golding said. Prats said his website’s views have quadrupled since the game launched , possibly because gamers are looking to get ahead and find new stops. His editors in recent days have had to strike down a rash of “bogus” submissions for markers that have no historical significance but that he suspects might be near where players live or where businesses are hoping for foot traffic , he said. Game maker Niantic Labs , which began as an internal Google startup, originally used the markers for its earlier game, Ingress, which attracted a smaller but dedicated community when it launched in 2012. Niantic, which spun off from Google last year, did not respond to emails seeking comment about its “Pokemon Go” locations. But the Ingress website gives clues about how the Pokestops were created. Before closing off submissions, Ingress invited its users to identify new locations for “portals,” real-life places of cultural significance that gamers try to capture and connect on the Ingress app. The company sought spots “with a cool story, a place in history or educational value” or a “cool piece of art or unique architecture.” It prized libraries and little-known gems, and welcomed places of worship because they are “a nod to the otherworldly” that amplified the game’s mysterious tone. READ: Arlington cemetery, Holocaust Museum: Stop catching Pokemon here Ingress player John Jannotti, who teaches computer science at Brown University, said he began stumbling upon the hidden history of his Providence neighborhood, including obscure stone markers showing the location of race riots where white mobs attacked black residents in the early 19th century. He even submitted some portals of his own. Now, those markers are Pokestops attracting a whole new community. Golding, the teacher, said he frequently runs into his students in downtown Tupelo while playing the game. “It’s probably more about the game for them right now,” Golding said. “After the newness kind of wears off, we can start to have those conversations about the historical significance behind those Pokestops.”
2016-07-25 12:01 Associated Press technology.inquirer.net
24 CA orders PCC to explain why it should not stop probe on P70B telco deal The Court of Appeals has ordered the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to comment on the separate petitions filed by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Globe Telecommunications Incorporated and explain why the court should not stop its comprehensive review on the P70-billion buyout deal on the telecommunication assets of San Miguel Corporation (SMC). In separate resolutions made public Monday, the appeals court’s 12th and 6th divisions gave PCC 10 days to submit its comment on the petitions filed by PLDT and Globe. READ: Court lets probe of PLDT, Globe deal proceed—PCC “Without necessarily giving due course to the instant petition…Philippine Competition Commission is directed to file a comment (not a motion to dismiss) within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice and show cause why the petition with prayer for a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction should not be granted,” the CA 12th division resolution written by Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr. stated. After compliance, PLDT has five days to submit a reply. Then, the court said it will determine if it will submit the case for decision or will still conduct a hearing or require submission of memorandum. READ: PCC gets boost in bid to review telco deal The CA 6th division, however, denied Globe’s bid for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against PCC’s investigation. In its two-page resolution, the appeals court through Associate Justice Nina G. Antonio-Valenzuela explained that for a restraining order to be issued, the right to be protected must exist and the acts sought to be restrained are violative of that right. But the court said “mere allegations of the existence of the such requisites, absent proof, cannot be the basis for the issuance of an injunctive writ.” RAM
2016-07-25 12:01 Tetch Torres business.inquirer.net
25 25 Pimentel vows support for all-out war on crime, drugs, corruption Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday vowed to support the all-out war against crime, drugs and corruption, while also strengthening the rule of law and justice system. In his acceptance speech as Senate president, Pimentel outlined the 11-point “Program of Government for Change” that majority of the senators agreed upon. Senators voted 20-3 in favor of Pimentel. “The all-out war against crime drugs and corruption, we support, for as long as it is conducted in accordance with law, punishments are imposed in accordance with law, and then the objective must be achieved,” Pimentel said in a press briefing after the opening of the 17th Congress. READ: Koko Pimentel takes Senate presidency by 20-3 vote Pimentel stressed the need implement orders in accordance with the law. “I hope you also notice that we will also strengthen the rule of law and make our justice system work. When your legislators, when your elected officials say something, it must be in accordance with law,” the new Senate president said. Other programs cited by Pimentel include adoption of a federal system of government; call for sustainable and inclusive economic growth; and delivery of quality education and health care. He added that the Senate probe on extrajudicial killings would depend on the chairman for the committee where the specific resolution would be deferred. The list of the committee on chairmanships will be finished not later than Wednesday, Pimentel said. Kathryn Jedi Baylon, INQUIRER.net trainee/CDG/rga READ: INQUIRER Report: 14 of 30 Duterte promises now ‘in progress’ RELATED VIDEO 2016-07-25 12:01 INQUIRER.net newsinfo.inquirer.net
26 Christian Bautista lauded for being loyal ‘Kapuso’ Despite a number of fellow Kapuso talents who have decided to transfer to a rival network, one of Asia’s top balladeers has chosen to remain loyal to GMA Network. On Thursday, July 21, Christian Bautista inked another two-year exclusive contract with the network, also known as Kapuso (loosely translated as same-hearted) Network , and is excited about what the network has in store for him. “Things are rolling, engines are heating up and we’re ready to go,” Christian told reporters. Recognized as one of the Philippines’ best singers, Bautista still wants to explore other possibilities outside of singing and he is very much ready for it. “I’m looking forward to hosting more shows, dancing, waiting for the next singing show and whatever the channel feels that I’m good for, I’m ready for that,” he said. Indeed, things are going well for Bautista and his wish to dabble in other forms of entertainment has been granted as he has become a part of the biggest “telefantasya” of the Kapuso network, “Encantadia,” which has just concluded its first pilot week. “I really had to do my best to fit the role sa Encantadia. I think the whole GMA wanted to be part of that show, more guests coming, more storylines are coming,” Bautista said. Despite having made it in the industry, Christian auditioned for the fantasy series just like the others who wanted to be part of it. He expressed elation to earn a role. Everything is indeed new to him and all this gives him the challenge and the perseverance to perform better. “Fighting, acting, trying out costumes, being gwapo mga ganon, doing your best with the most gwapo, most gwapo dad coz I’m a dad. Everyone naman had to go through a process and everyone had to really fit the part. It’s more fulfilling if you get into an audition,” he said. Even GMA CEO and Chairman Felipe Gozon has only good words for Bautista for being a loyal Kapuso. He considers the singer as a gem of the network. “Pumirma na naman sa’tin si Christian dahil hindi lamang tunay na Christian si Christian, mahusay kumanta ‘yan, marunong umakto, kagabi lang napanood ko yung role niya sa Encantadia, magaling. We consider ourselves lucky to have an actor like Christian in our station,” Gozon said. Happy with his love life Being in the industry and being with women in the industry has definitely put color into Bautista’s love life. Surely, the 34-year-old bachelor as found “the one.” He smiled as the media men asked him about his love life: “Mabuti naman, minsan private, minsan public.” Bautista revealed the name of his girlfriend of one year as Kat Ramnani, a non-showbiz personality whom he described as a very private person. “Yung public, yung last appearance namin sa the Preview ball, si Kat Ramnani. She’s a mix of Indian, Irish, American, Filipino. I met her in a breakout room, in a mystery room, it’s a game room that you have to solve, na para kayong barkada, ang title niya either Breakout or Mystery Manila. ‘Pag wala kayong magawa as a barkada punta kayo dun. Basta dumating na lang siya, sinama siya ng friend ko, tapos dun na lang kami nagkita,” Bautista said. Bautista said that what attracted him the most to his girlfriend was her intelligence. “She’s really smart, andami ko natututunan sa kanya in terms of details, improving your capacity to doing your best, hindi puwede yung puwede na. Intellectual gymnastics,” he said. Bautista describes himself as the “service” type of boyfriend, or more into acts than gift-giving. “Ang love language ko is service, kung meron akong time na magsundo, kung meron akong time na mag-ayos ng nasirang lock, ‘di ako masyado sa gifts kasi ganun din siya,” he explained. Being in the industry filled with temptations, Bautista is confident about his love for his girlfriend. He said he was very lucky that he got a “very understanding” girlfriend. “She knows naman na I’m part of the industry, saka nakita naman niya lahat ng mga music video ko dati kaya more likely she knows na what she’s gonna get into. She’s very understanding,” Christian said. However, despite the bandwagon of celebrities getting married and his age being ripe for marriage, Bautista is in no rush to settle down. “Sa ngayon wala pa namang marriage plans. Mag-iipon muna ko ng maraming maraming pera,” he said. Dream leading lady Since the top-notch balladeer has ventured into acting, he dreams of working with one Kapuso leading lady in the future, Jennylyn Mercado. Christian expressed his admiration for Mercado’s beauty and talent, and credits her for emerging unscathed from all the trials she’s been through. “She’s beautiful, she’s gone through so many things and yet she seems to have so much success especially in movies and endorsements,” he said.
2016-07-25 12:01 Clarizel Abanilla entertainment.inquirer.net
27 ‘Bato’ tells anti-riot cops: Show love to rallyists Put aside your battle gear and show militant rallyists some love. This was Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s message to the anti-riot cops deployed to secure President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday afternoon. “Sinabi ko sa kanila tanggalin nila ‘yung shield nila, isandal lang kung saan then mag-relax relax na sila diyan. ‘Wag sila magpakita na ready sila na parang aggressive stance,” Dela Rosa told reporters few hours before Duterte’s Sona at the House of Representatives in Quezon City. (I told them to take off their shields, put them somewhere, and just relax. They should refrain from showing that they are ready or that they are in an aggressive stance.) “We expect peace. We want to share our love to them. We want to love everyone,” he said. READ: Bato gatecrashes Sona rally, tells militants: We won’t hurt you This was a far cry from how the police geared up for rallies in the past Sona of Duterte’s predecessors. “Let’s show them we don’t mean to harm anyone, that we want to embrace everyone,” Dela Rosa added. Before arriving at the PNP’s command post in front of the Batasang Pambansa, the police chief, along with Metro Manila police’s Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde and QC police’s Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, met with militant leader Renato Reyes on Commonwealth Avenue. “Nag-usap kami, meet and greet then he told me first time ito in history na ‘yung mga rallyista pinapapasok dito sa Batasan Road tsaka first time na kinausap ko sila,” Dela Rosa said. (We talked and he told me that it’s the first time in history for the rallyists to be allowed entry on Batasan Road and it was my first time to talk to them.) He said the protesters, unlike in the past that rallies would turn violent amid a clash with police, were “very satisfied” with their arrangement with the PNP. The police officials then inspected the civil disturbance management cops lined along the Batasan Road. READ: 25K police on alert but authorities expect peaceful Sona rally As he greeted the cops, Dela Rosa told them to remove their helmets and put aside their shields and truncheons. Dela Rosa said the police have not monitored any security threats. IDL/rga RELATED VIDEOS
2016-07-25 12:01 Julliane Love newsinfo.inquirer.net
28 Nat’l Security Council to meet Aug. 27 on issues confronting PH (Note: This story is being reposted to include a correction that the National Security Council meeting has been scheduled for August 27, 2016 , not July 27, 2016 , as reported in the original post.) DAVAO CITY – The National Security Council is scheduled to meet on August 27, 2016, amid pressing issues confronting the country. Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza told reporters here late Saturday that the meeting was being arranged by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and that “all important issues confronting the nation will all be discussed.” Dureza said “all living former presidents, heads of the different congressional levels, key officials of Malacañang’s security council and other leaders” have been invited to attend the meeting. It was not clear though if former President Benigno Aquino III will be attending the NSC meeting. The NSC meeting will be held about a month after President Duterte is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry will be coming in from Vientiane between July 26 and 27 , where he was scheduled to attend several meetings of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), during which, he would discuss the territorial disputes between some Asean members and China. During the NSC meeting on August 27 , the territorial row between the country and China over the West Philippine Sea is expected to be discussed. “President Duterte will listen to the guidance, inputs, suggestions or recommendation of former presidents and other leaders of the government,” Dureza said. Dureza said the Duterte administration would be crafting a set of guidelines that former President Fidel V. Ramos would be referring to in his future dealings with China over the West Philippine Sea issue. “These are to be crafted and presented to him before he starts his actual mission to represent the country in this engagement with China,” he said. Dureza said initially, Mr. Duterte and Ramos discussed in general what the President would want to achieve in the talks with China “but these could not be publicly discussed yet.” Mr. Duterte earlier said that he wanted the territorial row resolved diplomatically and that a joint venture with China could be among the solutions He also said he would not give up the country’s sea rights in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea areas but he would want China to help in the country’s economic development. “If we can have a settlement with them despite the arbitral judgment, I think that we will have many benefits,” he said during his visit to Buluan, Maguindanao on Friday. SFM/rga
2016-07-25 12:01 Allan Nawal globalnation.inquirer.net
29 Punishing Strike by Resident Doctors Grinds on in Haiti Empty halls buzz with flies. Rats scamper through the wards at night. The emergency room is empty except for four shackled prisoners, watched over by relatives and missionaries rather than medical personnel. The Hospital of the State University of Haiti, the largest and most important public medical facility in this troubled country, is at the epicenter of the most punishing strike by Haitian medical workers in memory. "We've been left to rot," said Alme Cesar, one of the shackled prisoners, who was brought to the hospital months ago for treatment that has yet to materialize. "I would have died here without my wife coming to care for me. " Young doctors and interns walked off the job in March to protest chronic shortages of basic medical supplies, dismal pay and working conditions so unsafe that relatives of patients routinely threaten them, even storming into operating rooms with handguns. Nurses and support staff soon joined the walkout. Then waves of strikes spread to 12 other government-run hospitals across Haiti, crippling a severely under-resourced health system that struggles to cope during the best of times. Health Ministry authorities say four state hospitals are closed and others hit by strikes are functioning at diminished capacity. They claim hospitals are gradually reopening. But Associated Press journalists visited one hospital identified as open in the capital's Delmas district and found it barely scraping along. While a couple of specialists did scheduled consultations, the hospital was nearly empty and support staff sitting at the entrance turned away people seeking treatment. "I heard this hospital was open. But they just told us to go somewhere else," Macula Josephe said as she and her sister helped her grandfather into a pickup truck in the hospital's parking lot. The government-run hospitals that cater to Haiti's poorest citizens frequently lack basic supplies like surgical gloves, gauze, antiseptics and sometimes even water. Power outages force night-shift doctors to use light from their cellphones to finish operations. The director general of the Health Ministry, Dr. Gabriel Thimothe, said public hospitals have been badly underfinanced for many years. The Haitian government devotes 4.7 percent of its budget to health care and has called for increasing the share to nearly 10 percent next year under a proposed budget. Thimothe said many of the striking resident doctors are "radicals" who trained in Cuba. "We're open to negotiations. But we can't give everything they demand due to the economic situation of the country," he said. Since 1996, resident doctors in Haiti have been paid $120 a month, a paltry salary that has been eroded further by the rising cost of living. After initially demanding $500 a month, striking residents now say they will accept $360. They recently rejected a government offer of roughly $200 monthly to return to work. Dr. Vanessa Mehu, a third-year anesthesiology resident, said the strike would not stop until all their demands were met. While salaries are a major sticking point, she said doctors need systemic changes to a public health system that has long been unable to give adequate care to many. "People were dying for nothing. People were dying because they didn't have money to buy gloves. People were dying because they didn't have money to buy some serum, syringes," Mehu said. Thimothe said at least three deaths, including a pregnant woman who died outside the State University hospital's gates, have been attributed to the strike. Haiti's longest health walkout comes as a political impasse between feuding factions shows no sign of ending, leaving the poorest citizens suffering most amid Haiti's latest leadership drift. Interim President Jocelerme Privert, whose term ended last month but remains in office as divided lawmakers delay a vote on his fate, has threatened to strip hospital residents of their medical licenses. The threat has inflamed tensions. "He's just trying to intimidate the residents," said Dr. Joseph Herold, a third- year resident in obstetrics and gynecology. Recently, specialist physicians tried to report to work at the State University hospital but they were driven away by striking residents. A hospital strike is the last thing Haiti needs. Life expectancy has long been the shortest in the Western Hemisphere. Mosquito-borne diseases, measles, meningitis and other scourges are common. Malnutrition and stunted growth are widespread. Cholera has killed at least 10,000 people since 2010, when it was introduced into the country, likely by U. N. peacekeeping troops. Few patients can afford prescription medicines, and private care is out of reach for many. Those with means seek treatment in Miami or the neighboring Dominican Republic. About 50 percent of total health care expenditure in Haiti is provided by NGOs, according to the World Bank. Clinics and hospitals run by foreign NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders have been swamped with patients amid the strike. On a recent afternoon, dozens of poor people trying to get on waiting lists camped outside the Mirebalais public-private hospital created by Boston- based Partners in Health. The well-equipped hospital opened in 2013. Asania Sineus was in her sixth day outside the teaching hospital's doors as she waited for her mother to get treated for injuries from a motorbike crash. She first took her mom to a public hospital in Gonaives but it was closed. "Having to travel here is not good for us. But what else can we do? " the 20- year-old student said from her camp of piled blankets. At Port-au-Prince's State University hospital, which was supposed to be rebuilt by now with $83 million from international donors, Penina Pierre sat alone in a dermatology ward. Visiting missionaries are keeping her fed since she has no family. "Maybe someday the doctors will come back," said Pierre, the skin around her bandaged foot discolored and inflamed. ——— David McFadden on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dmcfadd
2016-07-25 12:01 By abcnews.go.com
30 Dallas Police Investigating Death of Child Left in Car Dallas police are investigating the death of young child who was left in a car amid hot weather. Police said in a statement that officers responded around 4:20 p.m. Sunday to a report of a 3-year-old left in a vehicle on the northeast side of town. The child was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. No further details were immediately available. The National Weather Service says the high in Dallas on Sunday was 100 degrees.
2016-07-25 12:01 By abcnews.go.com
31 Japan Sees Trade Surplus in June as Imports Drop 19 Percent Japan reports it posted a better-than-expected trade surplus in June, as imports fell nearly 19 percent, outpacing a more modest decline in exports. The customs data reported Monday showed a 692.8 billion yen ($6.5 billion) surplus, compared with a 60.9 billion yen deficit in June 2015. Economists had forecasts larger declines for both imports and exports, which could suffer with the recent strengthening of the Japanese yen against the U. S. dollar. Japan's exports to the U. S., its biggest overseas market, fell 6.5 percent in June from a year earlier, while exports to China , its largest trading partner, dropped 10 percent. Shipments of vehicles, chemicals and machinery fell year-on-year. At the same time, imports of oil, coal and gas dropped by over a third in value, in part reflecting lower prices. 2016-07-25 12:01 By abcnews.go.com
32 Man shot in Lawndale A man was shot Sunday night in the Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The 20-year-old was standing in an alley at 10:43 p.m. in the 1300 block of South Sawyer when he heard gunfire and realized he’d been shot in the right leg, according to Chicago Police. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
2016-07-25 12:01 Ashlee Rezin chicago.suntimes.com
33 Skydiver Missing After Jump in Oklahoma Crews in Oklahoma are searching for a missing skydiver whose parachute has been recovered. Local media report the skydiver, a woman in her 20s from Kansas , jumped around 3:45 p.m. Sunday near Cushing. Her parachute was found in a wooded area, but she wasn't with it. Multiple law enforcement agencies and the Red Cross are assisting in the search, and Lincoln County Sheriff Charlie Dougherty says crews will be working through the night.
2016-07-25 12:01 By abcnews.go.com
34 Salman Khan acquitted in blackbuck poaching case Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur on Monday acquitted superstar Salman Khan in the blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases, officials said. Also read - Blackbuck poaching case: Rajasthan HC asks trial court to produce pellets Salman Khan Salman had appealed before the high court challenging the lower court's verdict that had handed him one and five years' imprisonment, respectively, in the two separate cases of poaching. The hearing was completed in these cases in the last week of May and the decision was reserved by the high court. Khan and seven others are accused of killing a blackbuck and chinkara in two separate incidents. One of the animals was killed at Bhawad on the outskirts of Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and the other at Ghoda Farms on September 28, 1998. At that time, they were shooting for the film "Hum Sath Sath Hain".
2016-07-25 11:04 By IANS www.mid-day.com
35 Australians boycott incomplete, unsafe Rio Athletes' Village Rio de Janeiro: The Olympic Village in Rio opened its doors to the world’s athletes yesterday, less than two weeks before the Games begin — but Australia immediately boycotted the facility, calling it "simply not safe or ready. " Australian team head Kitty Chiller The criticism was another embarrassing blow for host Brazil, which is struggling to show all will be well before August 5, despite low ticket sales and public apathy amid a deep recession. The Olympic Village, a 31-building complex in the Barra da Tijuca district, will house over 18,000 athletes and coaching staff. However, Australia’s delegation spurned the Village as being riddled with problems, especially with wiring and plumbing and said its athletes will continue to stay in hotels. "Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells and dirty floors in need of a massive cleaning," head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement.
2016-07-25 11:00 By AFP www.mid-day.com
36 Kenyan caught smuggling gold worth Rs 2.25 crore at Mumbai airport Mumbai's Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) Saturday evening caught Kenyan National with 7.5 kilogram smuggled gold worth Rs. 2.25 crore. According to the information recieved from sources, the Worli unit of ANC officers on July 23 nabbed the 25-year- old cabin crew member of Kenyan airlines. The Kenyan national was caught near Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sahar. The ANC initailly had a tip-off that the cabin crew member was carrying drugs with him, however nothing as found during his physical check. Representational Pic It was then that the ANC officers found him in possession of around 7.5 Kg gold bars. The cabing crew had arrived on direct flight from Nairobi - Mumbai on Saturday. "No satisfactory explanation or documents regarding the gold was given. Prima facie it appears that the gold was smuggled by him from Kenya," stated an ANC officer. "ANC staff is handing over him along with the gold found in his possession to Customs officers for further action. " Sources claimed that a few months ago, Airport customs had arrested Kenya Air's cargo and security officer in a narcotics case.
2016-07-25 10:49 By A www.mid-day.com
37 Youth with suspected ISIS links held with 1 kg explosives at Parbhani The Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) yesterday arrested a 24- year-old youth from Parbhani district in Marathwada region for suspected ISIS links. Also read: 15 missing Kerala youths suspected to have joined IS “Khan was arrested early today and around one kg of explosives and other instruments have been recovered from him,” a senior ATS official said. Representational picture Prima facie, the explosives are low grade explosives, the official said. Khan was also found to have used a car remote key for operating an IED, he said. ATS is also probing his suspected connections with global terror outfit ISIS. Also at Parbhani Recently, 31-year-old Nasir Bin Yafi Chaus was arrested from Parbhani. Chaus was planning to join the Islamic State and was in constant touch with their members through social media. On Friday, a 43-year-old man — Rizwan Khan —allegedly involved in recruiting youths for ISIS was arrested from Thane district in a joint operation by Kerala Police and the Maharashtra ATS, as part of the probe in the southern state, where several youths are suspected to have joined the terror group and headed to destinations abroad after being radicalised. Khan was picked up from his residence at Kalyan in Thane, within days of arrest of a man associated with Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) of controversial preacher Zakir Naik, based on a complaint in Kerala. Also read: ATS arrests 50-year-old from Kalyan for helping couple who 'joined' IS On July 21, Kerala Police, assisted by Maharashtra ATS, arrested Arshi Qureshi, associated with IRF, from Navi Mumbai for allegedly radicalising youths. The Kerala police traced Qureshi to Mumbai following a complaint lodged in Kochi by the brother of a young woman, suspected to have joined ISIS along with her husband and left the state.
2016-07-25 10:46 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
38 Wadala man goes missing with kid, texts suicide note A 35-year-old medical representative and his 5- year-old daughter have been missing for over three days. In a suicide note, which he had forwarded to all his contacts, Ashad Irshad Khan wrote that his wife harassed him and was having many extramarital affairs — which prompted him to take the extreme step. Shaziya with their daughter Minal; (left) Ashad Khan. Pic/Shadab Khan The Wadala police have registered a missing complaint and formed two teams to trace the father-daughter duo. Khan had been working with Cipla for the last three months, before which he was with Glenmark. He married Shaziya (23) seven years ago and his daughter, Minal, is a Std I student at National Kannada Education Society. Ashad’s family (he has four brothers) has claimed he and Shaziya had been living separately for the past three months due to some dispute between the couple. The suicide note Azam Khan (37), Khan’s elder brother, said he saw him for the last time at his Wadala residence around 12.30 pm on July 21. “He was sitting at home with his daughter. He told me Minal wasn’t well and that he would be taking her to a hospital. He hadn’t sent Minal to school that day. After that, I left for work.” According to sources, Khan texted Shaziya around 5 pm on Thursday, saying he had killed Minal and was going to commit suicide. Shaziya immediately approached Agripada police station, which alerted the Wadala police. At 9.34 pm, Khan sent a suicide note to around 300 contacts he had on his phone, which included his friends and relatives. “Before we could react, we started getting calls from relatives asking about Khan. The police immediately went to his house,” Azam said. In his suicide note, Khan wrote that Shaziya had extramarital affairs with several people, including her relatives. He claimed that her parents had lied about her age at the time of marriage. On the trail Police started tracing his mobile number to find his location. At 6 pm, he was traced to Tiger Valley Point in Khandala, but after that, he switched off his phone. “At 9.30 pm, after he had sent the suicide note, he was traced to Vashi Old Bridge,” said Azam. A team of over 10 Wadala policeman left for Vashi. “At 11.30 pm, we reached the spot and found his bike. The keys and his helmet were kept on it. The police called the fire brigade and ambulance for the search operation and, till 3 am on Friday, we kept looking, but couldn’t find him or Minal,” Azam said. On Friday morning, the police scoured the footage at the Vashi toll naka, but couldn’t find any clue. “The CCTV camera footage showed a man passing the toll naka at 10.22 pm with a girl on his shoulders. But it was a blurred video and nothing could be ascertained. We have circulated pictures of Khan and Minal in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai for clues. We have also found that Khan used the services of an HDFC ATM near the Wadala railway station, after which he met his garage owner and paid him repair charges for his bike,” said a senior officer from the Wadala police station. Khan’s maternal uncle, Musharraf Hussain, said, “We pray that he and Minal are fine. He adored his daughter and couldn’t have done something so extreme to her.”
2016-07-25 10:44 By Faisal www.mid-day.com
39 Rio 2016: Indian shooter Chain Singh to resume training New Delhi: India’s Rio-bound shooter Chain Singh, who was hospitalised in Lausanne, Switzerland after being diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and pneumonia, will soon resume training. Chain Singh The 27-year-old developed a condition where the veins of the patient have blood clots which results in trouble in breathing.
2016-07-25 10:44 By PTI www.mid-day.com
40 Ed Vaizey's #Vexit interview: ‘Advertising doesn't ask a lot of government - and that’s a problem’ It’s been one week since Ed Vaizey MP took to Twitter to announce his self- proclaimed #Vexit at the hands of Theresa May. The Drum headed to Westminster to catch up with the former minister of state for culture and the digital economy on his tenure in office, and reflect on ad land’s global place in the post-Brexit world. The outgoing minister was quick to tell The Drum that as his replacement Matthew Hancock takes the reigns, the advertising industry has to make a point of getting on his radar – and fast – revealing that one of the challenges he faced during his tenure was overseeing a sector that is happy to go it alone. And that sometimes means it’s forgotten about at the highest level. The MP is undoubtedly optimistic about the output of the creative industries (he believes they “really have taken centre stage” since 2010), however his work with the ad industry is distinctly notable from his highlights reel. Vaizey explains this is – quite paradoxically – due to the industry’s strength; it’s a sector that’s self-serving, self-helping and to some extent, self-governing “I don't think advertising gets the credit it deserves in government because advertising doesn't actually come with a lot of asks of government,” he explained. “Funnily enough that's a problem - ministers deal with industries when they're coming and asking for something, and advertising doesn't ask for things.” Yet with Brexit and all its uncertainties looming, there’s no doubt the commercial creative industries will join every sector in looking to the new government for guidance. Vaizey advocated small changes, such as making sure politicians attend industry events, in order to get advertising back on the political map. “Is sounds a bit facile but [advertisers] need ministers to recognise just how successful our advertising industry is,” he said. “[It’s one of] the few actual global industries we have - a lot of UK advertising agencies are global in scale.” Brexit woes The MP voted to remain on 23 June, and still holds his concerns about the ramifications of Brexit. These hold true particularly for the big networks that house their European and global headquarters in the UK, and as Vaizey puts it: “A client could have their Spanish advertising team actually based in London because they want to concentrate the creativity and the expertise. So it's really important that access to European markets isn't curtailed.” He is also wary of how a departure from the EU will affect advertising regulations, yet a possible blockage of creative talent is his main concern. He explained: “I think that the advertising industry is entitled to call on a global talent pool and in particular, if you're a global agency, you want people from different markets to be working in your agency because the Spanish market or the French market is a different market from the UK market.” Handing the baton The politician who will have to deal with these problems if and when they arise is Hancock. Tellingly the job title has switched slightly to bill digital higher than culture (Hancock is minister of state for digital and culture, whereas Vaizey was minister for culture and the digital economy), a possible omen for the already underfunded arts world. Nevertheless, Vaizey is diplomatically positive about the government’s desire to take the creative industries seriously, stating he has “never seen anything that would lead me to believe that Theresa May wouldn't be open to promoting the creative industries and seeing their success.” He is also supportive of the new minister to the point of being self-effacing. “Matt Hancock is very able, very talented and very well-connected in the government so he'll be a great advocate for the marketing industry and indeed for all the creative industries,” he said. “The easiest way to erase the memory of Ed Vaizey - and I'll be very pleased if he does - is to come up with some fantastic initiatives. I’d say to Matt that the industry needs attention. "These industries really rate people who engage with them and talk to them. You don't need to be a minister who comes armed with a policy - come armed ready to listen and ready to take them seriously.”
2016-07-25 10:41 www.thedrum.com
41 Anthony Martial launches am9 brand in swipe at Man United giving Zlatan no.9 shirt Manchester United striker Anthony Martial's efforts to market his own personal brand 'am9' have been undermined by the club after it handed new arrival, Zlatan Ibrahimovic , the number nine shirt. Martial has played with number nine on his jersey shirt since his arrival at the Premier League club last season, however Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic recently signed for Man United and has been given the squad number, leaving Martial with number 11. It is hugely significant for the Frenchman who has been using the 'am9' name to promote his own personal brand in a similar fashion to how Real Madrid superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo , has used his number seven shirt number in his CR7 marketing endeavors which have included underwear, headphones and football boots. Ibrahimovic is renowned for his outspoken and tenacious personality and confirmed on social media that he has taken the coveted number nine for himself. Martial has used am9 across his website and even has 'am9' embroiled on his own Nike boots. The change will undoubtedly affect his ability to market himself and appears to have frustrated the 20 year-old who subsequently unfollowed the club on social media. He also changed his profile picture on Facebook to an image showing him wearing the number nine shirt during the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. 2016-07-25 10:41 www.thedrum.com
42 Vodafone boss claims the UK is still an ‘attractive’ place to be post-Brexit vote Vodafone’s chief executive has rowed back on his earlier claims that Vodafone could quit the UK following the referendum, insisting that it’s an “attractive place to be”. The Telegraph reports Vittorio Colao assured “nobody’s looking at any plan” to move the telecommunications giant’s headquarters from the UK, despite earlier claims that it would consider doing exactly that should the country leave. "We have no plans to look at anything different to where we are now," Coloa added. His comments came as Vodafone posted a 3.2 per cent slip in UK sales to £1.9bn in the three months to July, mainly due to the “continued operational challenges” from a new IT system that has caused issues with its customers’ mobile phone bills. Vodafone’s performance was also dented by a cap on roaming fees and customers switching to rivals. The UK accounts for around 15 per cent of Vodafone’s sales and new boss Nick Jeffrey is tasked with steadying the ship after a testing year. Colao said the business is "focused on improving our performance in the UK" and investing in its IT system to fix the billing issues. "The positive news is we're seeing fewer billing mistakes, but we have another few months of hard work ahead," he added. Vodafone was recently named the worst mobile operator for customer complaints, mainly due to the criticicms its faced in the wake of the issues with its new billing system, according to Ofcom.
2016-07-25 10:41 www.thedrum.com
43 Donald Trump's 'make America great again' campaign line lifted from Mussolini speech Donald Trump 's controversial discourses have been widely criticised from both ends of the political spectrum but now the presidential hopefuls 'make America great again' rhetoric looks tarnished after it emerged that the line is an echo from a speech given by fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. In March 1929 the Italian leader appeared in a televised news real for Fox News Service, part of Fox Film, which later merged with Twentieth Century Pictures in 1935 to form 20th Century Fox. The speech can also be viewed here. The broadcast marked one of the first sight-and-sound newsreels in history, and showed Mussolini calling on Italian immigrants to "make America great. " Speaking in English Mussolini says: "I greet with wonderful energy the American people and I see and recognize among you the salt of your land, as well as ours, my fellow citizens who are working to make America great. " Not long after this speech Mussolini abandoned the prospect of a brighter era and joined forces with Adolf Hitler in trying to reshape world history. The embarrassment comes just one week after Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, gave a speech at the Republican National Convention which was later revealed to have been lifted almost word for word from a speech which the first lady, Michelle Obama, had given in 2008.
2016-07-25 10:40 www.thedrum.com
44 Grey’s new senior team interview: Inside the agency’s plan for the future post-Grexit As Grey’s new management team settles in, The Drum talks to those tasked with replacing the Grexit trio and how they plan on doing things their way. To say it’s been a testing month for Grey London would be an understatement. The high of Cannes to the furore of the referendum vote, quickly followed by the shock departures of its senior team, would suggest the agency might pause for breath. And yet it’s doing the opposite; led by chief executive Leo Rayman, a new look management team is already in place formulating what will be the agency’s next phase of growth in digital and data. The Drum caught up with Rayman alongside Wayne Brown and Matt Tanter, who step into the roles of chief operating officer and chief strategy officer respectively for their thoughts on achieving a richer talent mix, new payment models and why technology and data are both key to the agency’s future The Drum: Since the management change, it’s been clear that the agency is going to be making changes to its offering and the way it works. How do you plan on making such changes while also not losing sight of what makes Grey Grey? Rayman: “This is exactly what makes Grey Grey. We are always restless and urgent, because if you go to bed thinking that you’ve cracked it, you’re probably half way to failure. Everyone in the agency shares this feeling. It’s deep in our DNA and that's why we turned this business around - we're open to new ways of doing things, we always think like the underdog and we believe that energy and determination win in the end.” Brown: “We are always trying to find better and more innovative ways to tackle problems, which of course extends to the challenges facing our own business. To continue making work that creates powerful cultural impact, you need to upgrade and invest continuously - new skills, new talent, new services. Three years ago Snapchat was just known for dick pics and no one in our business was thinking about AI. The only way to respond is to be open. Embracing that change is the nature of the business we’re in. Ignore it at your peril.” The Drum: How do you plan on getting clients to come round to new ways of working, especially when it comes to changing the way you charge for work – do you think that could have an impact on new business? Brown: “Many clients are desperate to change the way they incentivise and get value out of their agency partners. There’s a bunch of stuff that’s commoditised - it can be hard to start charging differently for that – but there are many ways to reframe the value that an agency can bring and the ideas they are capable of generating beyond our current core product. If these will transform a client’s market share or even share price, of course they’re open to find a different way to value this input. It’s not for every client, but we’re working on a plan to achieve 40 per cent of non-traditional revenue by the end of 2017.” Rayman: “We learnt a lot with Volvo LifePaint. A small innovation project using a dealer budget turned into one of the biggest marketing stories of the last two years. With the global roll out, we’ve realized a new commercial model based on sales of cans. When we made the iKitten app for McVitie’s, instead of giving away the IP, we licensed it to them. There are exciting projects in the offing on both Science Museum and GSK. It’s an experiment that is working. “To accelerate this entrepreneurial approach and bring the same level of creativity to our business as we do to our work, we’ve recently given everyone commercial training. From account execs to creatives to heads of department, everyone understands how we currently make money and for how we could in the future. This empowers them to think differently and have different conversations.” The Drum: How do you plan on making diversity a bigger part of Grey’s agenda – are you going to be introducing quotas or hiring from different places? Brown: “Diversity isn’t just a buzz word at Grey, it’s at the heart of our business strategy. We know the world is changing (just look at the past three weeks!) and clients respond well when we offer a much wider diversity of creative output. The age of one size fits all is truly dead. “And if you’ve got an open mind to the talent and skills you need, you also need an open door. So this isn’t just about partnering with or acquiring new businesses, it’s also about bringing different types of people into our company. “At one level that’s people with different skills, or even people who have been in different industries, but it’s also very much about bringing people with different perspectives and backgrounds in. People who don’t fit the mould. Our open culture not only supports this, it needs this.” Rayman: ”We’re against quotas. We have a genuine belief that diversity will make our agency better, more progressive, more creative and more adaptable for whatever comes next. Targets are useful to ensure you’re heading in the right direction but you still have to make the right hires. “That said, we’re already the only agency in the UK beating both the IPA’s 2020 targets for women and BAME in senior positions. 33 per cent of our workforce had a career in another industry before working in the creative industries: entrepreneurs, lawyers, butchers, management consultants and finance to name a few. More than a third (35 per cent) of our workforce didn’t go to university and get a degree. Some 13 per cent of our employees don’t have English as their first language. We have 17 different mother tongues. While 80 per cent of our workforce grew up outside of London and 35 per cent grew up outside the UK. This is good, but it’s never enough.” “To achieve a richer mix of talent, it’s not just about changing your hiring policies, it means casting your net wider. We need to reach as many people as possible and introduce the idea of a creative career to people who think it’s not for them or don’t even know anything about it. “We removed barriers by taking education and even CV’s off entry-level recruitment three years ago, we hire apprentices, have programmes to support working parents, include male/female benchmarking in all reviews and are working on manager training in 'unconscious bias'. “But we’re also growing our networks through a number of partnerships and initiatives such as the WPP micro fellowship for BAME grads, we’re also closing a deal with Code First: Girls to support women in tech through placements, later this year we’ll be going into schools and recording a primetime TV series about how to get into the industry. Bottom line, if you’re reading this and have a different start point, please come and talk to us.” Tanter: “Diversity is a business imperative, not just the right thing to do. That’s patronising crap and those who diversify with that mentality are just quota chasers. Evolution is a necessity for businesses being disrupted. Therefore, diversity and collaboration are critical for agencies to produce ideas to fuel that evolution. Secondly, diversity is about creating a magnetic culture that draws and embraces talent from completely different walks of life. Talent that is currently looking at the old school ad model and saying 'not interested’. The right culture offers them a chance to express themselves in their own way, whilst being part of something bigger.” The Drum: Tech and innovation are such broad churches – what specific areas in each are you planning to double down? Brown: “We are investing heavily in talent and technology - including a soon- to-be-announced data partnership - that can take our culture defining idea and impact individuals in a way that is unique, personal and ultimately changes their behaviour. Advertising is good at doing this when it’s great, but increasingly it’s not the only way we can help our clients make a difference in people’s lives. So while they are broad areas, we’re really just acknowledging that our palette is expanding. To continue your gambling analogy, we’re placing chips all around the board, because we believe this considered risk taking will ultimately benefit our clients and our business.” Tanter: “A broad church it may be, but fundamentally it is about building a culture that discounts nothing at the start. It’s about embracing any form of technology that can help create ideas of cultural impact, colliding brand and user-centric thinking to do so. Critically, we have to collapse transaction and a greater emphasis on the purchase and service experience, into this work. And it must all be driven by a desire for greater personalisation and smarter use of data to inspire creativity not just optimise performance.”
2016-07-25 10:40 www.thedrum.com
45 First It Was Killer Bathtubs, Now It’s Killer Air Conditioners Remember when President Obama said that more Americans die in bathtubs than at the hands of terrorists? Well, now Secretary of State John Kerry has taken it a step further by adding air conditioners to the list. Kerry is in Vienna as the 1987 Montreal Protocol is being amended where it concerns Hyrdofluorocarbons (HFC) found in air conditioners and refrigerators. Kerry remarked: As we were working together on the challenge of [ISIS] and terrorism. It’s hard for some people to grasp it, but what we–you–are doing here right now is of equal importance because it has the ability to literally save life on the planet itself. Except that bathtubs and air conditioners don’t control vast amount of territory in Iraq, Syria and Libya. Nor do bathtubs and air conditioners behead American journalists, rape American relief workers, burn Jordanian pilots alive or commit genocide against Christians and Yazidis. When President Obama invokes bathtubs, when Kerry invokes air conditioners and, for that matter, when Hillary Clinton asks “at what point what difference would it have made?” they demonstrate their lack of seriousness when it comes to the Islamic supremacy and its terrorism. It is attitudes like theirs which drives people into the arms of Donald Trump.
2016-07-25 10:34 Aaron Goldstein spectator.org
46 Conservative Super PAC Offers Tim Kaine Some Friendly Advice Levity is rare for Super PACs of both political varieties. After all, casting your political adversaries as threats to the American way is serious business. But the conservative America Rising Super PAC on Friday released a really clever satirical email to Tim Kaine, offering some advice for his new position. “America Rising has obtained a highly classified email from, well, America Rising that welcomes Senator Tim Kaine (D- VA) to Team Clinton,” they announced. “As close students of Secretary Clinton, America Rising walks Kaine through a checklist of items he needs to know as he becomes Clinton’s Number Two. The email, complete with classified markings, warns Kaine to keep handy a length of rope for corralling the press , always delete his emails (Gmail is fine), and if someone named “ Bernie ” calls, just let it go to voicemail.”
2016-07-25 10:32 Investigative Journalist dailycaller.com
47 Kaine: Can't Mishandle Classified Info Without Consequence In a June 26 interview on “Meet The Press,” the man who would later become Hillary Clinton’s running mate told NBC’s Chuck Todd that “I can’t take classified information that I get as a senator and give it to someone with no consequence.” WATCH: Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, made the comment while explaining his support for restrictions on the Second Amendment. “Let’s talk about the First Amendment for a second. Freedom of speech, we believe it. You’re a journalist, but you can’t libel or slander somebody with no consequence,” Kaine said. “I can’t take classified information that I get as a senator and give it to somebody with no consequence.” Kaine’s comments came just a week before FBI Director James Comey would announce that Hillary Clinton had sent and received classified information on her private server. (RELATED: FBI Director Comey Obliterated These Hillary Talking Points.) Upon learning that Comey would not be recommending that Clinton face criminal charges for her actions, Kaine said, “I’m not surprised. I have long believed that this was not going to be anymore than what Secretary Clinton said.” (RELATED: Here Are 35 Email Lies Hillary Is Still Telling On Her Campaign Website) Follow Peter Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson
2016-07-25 10:32 Reporter Associate dailycaller.com
48 Manchester Test: Rain forces early tea as England on course for win Manchester: Alastair Cook caused a stir with his surprise decision to spare Pakistan the follow-on as England nonetheless stayed on course for a wide-margin series-levelling victory at Old Trafford yesterday. Pakistan's captain Misbah- ul-Haq (R) watches England's captain Alastair Cook (L) leave the pitch at the end of play on the third day of the second Test cricket match between England and Pakistan at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. Pic/ AFP Surprise decision England needed less than 40 overs on Day Three of the second Test to dismantle the remainder of Pakistan's first innings, from 57 for four to 198 all out. Cook then spurned the fast-track to a likely innings win, with a mammoth lead of 391 in the bag. Bad weather took out 27 of the scheduled 90 overs, but Cook still had time to consolidate the domination in a stumps total of 98 for one. Consternation is hardly yet rife that the hosts might have shot themselves in the foot by going into bat again, but hindsight will doubtless be damning if they are somehow not able to convert overwhelming mid-match superiority into a 1-1 scoreline before Tuesday.
2016-07-25 10:34 By PA www.mid-day.com
49 49 Verizon 'will buy Yahoo! today for $4.8 billion' & bring an end to Mayer's reign American media and telecoms giant Verizon will announce its plans to buy Yahoo! Inc. for about $4.8bn on Monday, said Bloomberg, quoting a person with direct knowledge of the situation. "The takeover is expected to be announced before the market opens, "the person said according to Bloomberg. The person asked not to be identified because the information was not public. The deal includes Yahoo real estate assets. Intellectual property assets are expected to be sold separately, the source said. The deal is also likely to bring to an end the tumultuous reign of Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer, "who tried and failed to re-invent Yahoo as an independent company," said Bloomberg. Another report said it marked a "stunning fall" for Mayer. The deal is set to end months of speculation over the fate of Yahoo after it began to explore strategic alternatives. The deal will add the iconic web pioneer and its millions of daily users to Verizon’s growing stable of media properties, said Bloomberg. Verizon spokesman Bob Varettoni declined by e-mail to comment. Yahoo spokeswoman Rebecca Neufeld didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Yahoo will keep its stakes in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Yahoo Japan Corp it is expected.
2016-07-25 10:32 www.thedrum.com
50 India record biggest Test win outside Asia against West Indies, Ravichandran Ashwin takes 7/83 North Sound (Antigua): India's supremacy remained unrivalled as they rode on Ravichandran Ashwin's 7/83 to outplay the West Indies by an innings and 92 runs, their biggest win outside Asia, in a lopsided first cricket Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series here today. India's cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin (C) celebrates during day four of the cricket test match between West Indies and India July 24, 2016 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St John's, Antigua. / AFP Ashwin produced an off-spin bowling masterclass and triggered a second-innings slide that saw the hosts collapse from 88/2 to 132/8 on the fourth and penultimate day. A defiant ninth-wicket stand of 95, West Indies' highest in the game, between Carlos Brathwaite (51 not out) and Devendra Bishoo (45) delayed the inevitable before Ashwin came back to seal the issue by bowling the hosts out for 231. This was also the Tamil Nadu spinner's first five-wicket haul outside the Asian continent. India bowled out the West Indies for 243 in their first innings, having amassed 566 for eight declared after opting to bat. Forced to follow-on after conceding a massive lead of 323, the hosts failed to cope up with intense pressure created by Ashwin and Co on a pitch that offered assistance to slow bowlers. At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the visitors shot out the hosts in three hours over the post lunch and tea session to finish their two innings at 243 and 231. After tea, Brathwaite reached his third Test fifty, but the rest of the innings folded in just over 40 minutes. Bishoo hit straight to midwicket off Ashwin in the 78th over, and three balls later bowled Shannon Gabriel (4) to wrap up the proceedings with a day to spare. Post lunch, it was an extended session of play which proved enough for India to force a win. But first they had to break through the 67-run partnership between Rajendra Chandrika (31) and Marlon Samuels (50). The two batsmen began again in the same vein, trying to play for time, and in doing so, the latter crossed the 50-mark off 74 balls raising hopes of a fight back. But it was short-lived as Chandrika had a faint inside-edge off Ashwin in the 36th over, judged accurately by the umpire and caught on the third attempt by Wriddhiman Saha. It started the slide for West Indies and the off-spinner barged into the opening he had found. In the very next over, he removed Jermaine Blackwood (0) for a second duck in the match, with skipper Virat Kohli holding a magnificent diving catch at midwicket to aid in the dismissal. Then came the best moment for Ashwin, as a beautiful delivery beat Samuels' straight bat and knocked back his off-stump in the 42nd over. Four overs later, Ashwin had Roston Chase (8) caught at forward short leg and the West Indies' resistance was more or less over. At the other end, Amit Mishra (1-61) trapped Shane Dowrich (9) LBW and then Ashwin returned in the 54th over to complete his first five-wicket haul outside the sub-continent by bowling Jason Holder (16) through the gate. It was the second time in Test cricket that the off-spinner celebrated a double of Test hundred plus five-wicket haul. India then looked to wrap up the innings quickly, but a sedate 69-run stand for the ninth wicket between Brathwaite and Bishoo thwarted their efforts to wrap up the match before tea. The duo played some attacking strokes and brought up the 200-mark going into the break. Earlier, a short rain shower stopped India's march as the hosts went into lunch at 76/2. The morning had begun with overnight batsmen Chandrika and Darren Bravo (10) looking to play on for time as well as score runs whenever possible. India started the proceedings with Ishant Sharma (1-27) and Umesh Yadav (1-34), the duo looking sharp and bowling fuller deliveries, especially the former who was a marked improvement from his first innings'outing. And this brought immediate success as Yadav sent back Bravo off the fifth ball of the day, as Ajinkya Rahane dove to his left and held a two-handed catch at gully. The duo bowled a consistent spell thereafter, testing both Chandrika and Samuels, but the batsmen showed enough resilience to stay put at the wicket. Samuels in particular looked aggressive and used good hand-eye co- ordination to smack nine boundaries in the session. The two batsmen put on 50 off 98 balls, while the West Indies' score crossed the 50-mark in the 27th over. Mohammed Shami (0-26) was soon introduced into the attack, and he was on the money straightaway. There was one incident where he could have sent Samuels back, as he induced an edge only for the ball to die down on its way to the keeper Wriddhiman Saha. He caught the ball but the umpires checked upstairs for a replay and replays didn't prove conclusively that the catch was cleanly taken, and Samuels was given a life in the 25th over. He was on 16 at that time. Even so, it finally begs the question whether the West Indies have a good enough bowling attack to take 20 wickets against this Indian line-up. It certainly wasn't the case in the first Test as they went in with only two specialist bowlers in Shannon Gabriel and Devendra Bishoo. It remains to be seen how things will change in the second Test starting in Jamaica from July 30. "To be honest, myself and Carlos Brathwaite are going up to a certain point in terms of what our roles are, bowling areas together and pick up one or two wickets. But if runs are leaking from both ends, primarily from the other end, it makes cricket a little easier for batsmen. Having said that we tried to get some wickets. But it just didn't come together," opined Holder. "You must also give the Indian batsmen credit. Virat Kohli and Ravihandran Ashwin played well. We put Ashwin down. Had we taken that chance, you never know how the game could have brought," he signed off.
2016-07-25 10:32 By PTI www.mid-day.com
51 Mumbai: From stars to slum dwellers, locals don't get the basics at K-West ward Several celebrities call this ward home, living in plush apartments in posh localities such as Versova and Lokhandwala. But K-West is also home to thousands of slum dwellers in shantytowns across Juhu Galli, Adarsh Nagar, Pathan Wadi, Aaram Nagar, and near Versova beach. A mound of garbage sits in front of fruit and vegetable vendors at Four bungalows, posing a health hazard for everyone. Pics/Tehniyat Fatima No matter who they are and where they live, the residents all complain that they don’t get basic rights such as safe footpaths to walk on, or even clean surroundings and water. Citizens on this side of town are not too hopeful that things will change in this election either, with many claiming that politicians only turn up before the polls to make promises but never end up making good on them. Subhash Ghai takes part in a cleanliness drive at Versova beach yesterday. Pic/PTI This ward is blessed with the Metro, so many residents are spared a back- breaking commute by road. Those who do travel by road complain about potholes, waterlogging and long traffic jams. Even cleanliness is a major issue. Public toilets are few and far in between, and are ill-maintained. Slum residents suffer even greater neglect, and garbage vans don't even turn up to collect trash regularly. Main Issues: Trash town: Cleanliness, or the lack of it, has been a long-standing issue here. Mounds of rotting garbage can be seen everywhere - on the roadsides, near the fruit and vegetable market, near houses. This is particularly rampant near Manish market and SNDT. Residents said that even though they are unhappy about it, they frequently litter as well, simply because there aren't enough dustbins and dumpsters. At some spots, dumpsters are either broken or don't have lids, leading to rubbish spilling out on the roads, inviting health issues to the locality. Water woes: With the water cut now at an end, the ward gets an adequate supply of water. The issue is that much of this water is not potable. Residents from the SNDT university area told mid-day that the first few buckets of water often have to be thrown away as the water is murky and has a strong, pungent stench. Pedestrian problems: For residents of this ward, one of the biggest complaints is the utter lack of footpaths. In many places, the pavements are properly built. The few decent footpaths are encroached upon by hawkers and illegal parking. Pedestrians are forced to walk on the streets because of this, and it has led to many an accident in the past. Ahead of the 2017 BMC polls, mid-day presents a 48-week initiative for citizens to raise their neighbourhood concerns. You and your corporator are now face-to-face in the Big Civic Battle. If you wish to highlight an issue troubling your ward, write to us at [email protected]
2016-07-25 10:28 By Neha www.mid-day.com
52 Caution needed in choppy waters The markets continued to remain very choppy and closed virtually unchanged. They gained on three of the five days of trading, and yet, were unchanged. The BSE SENSEX lost 33.26 points or 0.12 per cent to close at 27,803.24 points. NIFTY lost 0.20 points to close at 8,541.20 points. The broader indices like the BSE100, BSE200 and BSE500 gained 0.26 per cent, 0.43 per cent and 0.52 per cent respectively. BSEMIDCAP was up 1.25 per cent and BSESMALLCAP up 1.07 per cent. Planting paddy in a terrace field near Shillong. A good monsoon means bright prospects for the economy. Pic/AFP The top sectoral gainer was BSEOIL&GAS up 2.51 per cent followed by BSEHEACAR 1.91 per cent and BSEAUTO 1.09 per cent. The losers were led by BSEBANKEX down 1.58 per cent and BSECONDUR 1.22 per cent. In individual stocks, the top gainer was Cairn India up 10.95 per cent. The state run oil marketing companies were big gainers with HPCL up 9.35 per cent, Indian Oil 9.11 per cent and BPCL 4.96 per cent. The losers were the banking companies led by the PSU banks. PNB down 11.58 per cent, Union Bank 9.55 per cent and Bank of Baroda 8.27 per cent. Axis Bank lost 4.82 per cent. History The Indian Rupee lost 2 paisa or 0.03 per cent to close at Rs 67.08. Dow Jones inched upwards gaining 54.30 points or 0.29 per cent, to close at 18,570.85 points. Shares of L&T Infotech listed on the exchanges and history repeated itself five years later. On August 16 2011, shares of L&T Finance had listed and that issue had received a fantastic response from retail investors. Shares were allotted at Rs 52. They closed lower with losses of 3.91 per cent. Fast forward to July 21, 2016 when shares of L&T Infotech were listed. These shares were allotted at Rs 710 with a discount of Rs 10 to retail investors. The issue was overall subscribed 11.69 times with the retail portion subscribed 7.39 times. A total of 10.90 lakh applications were received. On day one, the shares closed at Rs 697.65, a loss of Rs 12.35 or 1.7 per cent. One hopes for the brand and the retail investor that the third issue likely to hit the market from the group, L&T Technologies makes some money for investors. Issues The issue from Advanced Enzyme Technologies Limited received excellent response and was oversubscribed 116.39 times. The QIB portion was oversubscribed 94.53 times, HNI 393.94 times and retail 11.69 times. The primary markets seem to be having a good time and almost nine out of 10 issues have made money for successful applicants. Cairn India and Vedanta Limited announced new terms for the merger of Cairn India with Vedanta. The term stipulates that one share would be given in Vedanta for each share of Cairn India along with 4 preference shares of Rs 10 each carrying a coupon of 7.5 per cent and redeemable after 18 months. This simply put, implies that shareholders would get Rs 40 extra after 18 months and the amount would earn a simple interest of 7.5 per cent. This announcement could explain the sharp rally in the prices of Cairn India and Vedanta last week. GST This week sees July futures expire on Thursday, July 28. The current value of NIFTY at 8,541.20 points is higher by 253.45 points or 3.06 per cent. The bulls have an upper hand and a clear advantage at that. The possibility of GST being tabled and passed in the week seems bright. Assuming this does happen, the markets could see euphoria thereafter. However euphoria and pessimism do not last beyond 48 hours. Assuming that GST is passed in the coming week or the following one, it would make sense to sell and reduce one's position in the market significantly. Post the euphoria, markets would correct and offer plenty of opportunities to re-enter at lower levels. Markets are extremely choppy and seem to have reached a point where they are waiting for news to peak out and correct. The news would be the enactment of GST and if the same gets delayed into August, markets could correct immediately as well. Play markets cautiously, use any rallies to exit position. Disclaimer: No financial information whatsoever published anywhere in this newspaper should be construed as an offer to buy or sell securities, or as advice to do so in any way whatsoever. All matter published here is for educational and information purposes only and under no circumstances should be used for actual trading or making investment decisions. Readers must consult a qualified financial advisor prior to making any actual investment or trading decisions, based on information published here. Any reader taking decisions based on any information published here does so entirely at his or her risk.
2016-07-25 10:22 By Arun www.mid-day.com
53 Where there's a will, there's a GST Bill Heavily overbought markets corrected, especially when it came to large cap stocks last week. The daily RSI is placed very close to its dangerous range of 70. A sharp uptrend is not predictable, if there are no major positive triggers. Market participants are awaiting fruitful discussions in the Rajya Sabha in implementing the GST Bill. The GST Bill has been listed for discussions this week. The July Series Futures and Options will expire on July 28. There are huge shorts created by traders at the 8600 level. If that level has been taken off, then we can expect a sharp bump up and subsequently, Nifty may move towards the 8700 mark. Nifty The Nifty faces resistance at around the 8600 and 8700 levels. Support for the Nifty lies at 8452 and 8400 levels. If Nifty fails to get support, at these levels then it could test 8339, though there is a remote chance of that. Now, let us check the US markets. There is some more steam left in Dow Jones. The S&P 500 VIX which measures the undercurrent of the US market is at 12.02 per cent suggesting a very strong outlook. The Dow Jones has support at 18117 and has resistances at 18784 and 19000 levels. Stocks Recently, we saw profit booking in front line stocks, but small cap and mid cap stocks continued to outperform the broader market. The BSE mid cap index is slightly overbought, which means selective buying can be expected in the coming days. In other words, quarterly numbers are going to play a crucial role in these two segments. You cannot expect all round buying in small and mid cap segments. IT counters are trading relatively weak, and BSE IT Index may find support at the 10235 level, which will offer an entry level for investors. Selective metal stocks will remain subdued after European metal producers stocks witnessed profit booking. The data from the UK is not very encouraging, The Pound dipped below $1.32 post BREXIT. The UK Business activity also contracted post BREXIT, July Service PMI fell to a low at 47.40 from 52.1 in June versus a forecast of 48.90. The Manufacturing PMI though slipped below 50 but remained above the forecast of 47.8. Many large cap and mid cap companies are queuing up to announce their results. These major companies are Canara Bank, Eveready, KPR Mills, NAUKRI; ACC, Ajanta Pharma, Ambuja Cement, Bajaj Fin Serve, Bajaj Finance, Dr. Reddy, IDFC, Karur Vysia Bank, Maruti, V Guard; Asian Paint Bajaj Auto, Bharti Air, Dabur, Yes Bank; Blue Dart, Dish TV, Glaxo, Muthoot Fin, Syndicate Bank; Crompton, ICICI Bank, KTK Bank, Alembic Pharma, SPARC, UPL etc. Data The US authorities will publish US Continuing Jobless Claims and Initial Jobless Claims, this week. This macro data can affect the equity market sentiments and the US dollar. EU Zone macro data expected next week are Industrial Production, Unemployment rate, Balance of Trade, Consumer Confidence, Retail Sales and inflation. Market participants also will take into consideration Manufacturing PMI data from China. Bank Nifty remained in a range and profit booking was visible in public sector banks. This week, banking stocks may face some more volatility especially in public sector banks, before making a sharp up move. Banking Nifty has resistances at 19100 and 19308. The support levels are at 18500 and 18333. If there is a major sell-off in the public sector banking space, then one can add small quantities in the portfolios. Both HDFC Bank and Kotak Bank came out with moderately good set of numbers last week. The out performance of auto stocks will come to an end in the short term, because of heavily overbought condition. Investors can book partial profits in this sector. The pharma sector will be in focus; Dr. Reddy Lab result can act as a key trigger for this sector. Gold Crude remained weak due to oversupply and lower demand. It lost ground but remained close to two-month low. Crude has minor support at $42.85 per barrel and it would face resistances at $44.93 and $46.40, per barrel. If there is a major sell off. then Crude may slip even further. Lower crude prices are favourable for oil marketing companies, which are already trading 52-week highs. Plastic furniture makers and aviation stocks are also likely remain firm. Gold is weak due to the strong dollar and the monsoon in India, demand will pick up after August because of Onam. Gold has support at $1307.22 per troy ounce and resistances at $1337 and $1368 per troy ounce. Investors in the UK and EU are accumulating gold, post BREXIT on concerns of increased currency volatility. The recent IPOs have given very good returns, which in turn, will attract lots of investors to both, the IPO market and secondary markets. Alex K Mathews is the author of Financial Services And Systems, as well as Option Trading: Bear market Strategies, Option Trading: Bull Market Strategies, Financial Services and System, Security Analysis and Portfolio Management published by Tata McGraw Hill. He is the founder of www.thedailybrunch.com.
2016-07-25 10:22 By Alex www.mid-day.com
54 54 Three Sundays later, ISIS bombs Baghdad again Baghdad: A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 15 people in a Shiite area of northern Baghdad yesterday, security and medical officials said. This happened after an ISIS suicide bomber struck shoppers in Baghdad’s central Karrada district on July 3, killing 292 people. A worker cleans the pavement at the bombing site yesterday near a checkpoint in Baghdad. Pic/AFP The bombing, which struck near a checkpoint in the Kadhimiyah area, home to a major Shiite shrine, also wounded at least 29 people, the officials said. ISIS issued a statement claiming the attack, saying it targeted soldiers and pro-government paramilitaries in the area. The jihadist group frequently carries out attacks on security forces, and also often targets members of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority, whom it considers heretics. The group also claimed an attack on a Shiite shrine in Balad, north of the capital, that left 40 dead a few days later. ISIS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul. The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks.
2016-07-25 10:20 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
55 For kidnapping 13, two Mexicans jailed for 520 years Mexico City: Two men involved in one of Mexico's most shocking kidnapping and killing incidents have each been sentenced to 520 years in prison. Mario Alberto Rodriguez Ledezma and Gabriel Carrasco Ilizaliturri must additionally pay a fine of more than $270,000 for their role in kidnapping 13 people, including an 18-year-old, at a bar in Mexico City in May 2013. The men are ineligible for parole and if unable to pay the fine, must serve 39,000 days of community service. The crime, carried out by armed men at a bar known as Heaven, shocked the nation as a dozen of youths were killed. A total of 22 people have been charged in connection with the crime, among which eight have been sentenced. Last September, the owner of the bar, Ernesto Espinosa Lobo and two other people received sentences of more than 500 years in prison. Two other perpetrators were jailed for 520 years in December.
2016-07-25 10:20 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
56 Mumbai: HC lifts fee restrictions on PG med students Providing relief to post-graduate medical students, the Bombay High Court on Friday stated that students belonging to socially backward classes would be allowed to appear for their examination without any restrictions from the colleges. Mumbai: KEM asks students from socially backward classes to pay up tuition fee “For the past 2-3 months, authorities were creating problems for students saying if they don’t pay fees, they will be debarred from the examination. However, the high court order says nobody will be debarred from the university exams, just two days before the examination,” said Dr Sagar Mundada, president of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD). On July 18, mid-day highlighted the plight of the students who were sent notices by KEM Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College to submit their tuition fees, failing which their result wouldn’t be declared. The court order clarified that the students wouldn’t be stopped from appearing in their PG examination just for non-payment of fees. “It’s a big win for us. Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) agrees that as they provide Rs 50,000 as stipend, our annual incomes go to R5.5 lakh, but it has nothing to do with the central rules that excuse fees for students from socially backward classes,” said a student. DMER says Dr Pravin Shingare, director of DMER said, “We provide all facilities to students. Starting from their stay in hostel to food, everything is free. We also provide a stipend. Now as the order has come, we will follow it.”
2016-07-25 10:18 By Rupsa www.mid-day.com
57 AN-32: IAF lodges missing complaint with TN police Chennai: After 48 hours of frantic search involving assets drawn from IAF, Navy and Coast Guard, IAF authorities have lodged a formal complaint with Tamil Nadu police over the missing AN-32 aircraft. “The complaint was lodged on Saturday with Selaiyur police,” a senior police official said yesterday. Also read: No sign of missing IAF plane, search may consume more days “The complaint says 29 personnel on board AN-32 and the aircraft have gone missing. Among the missing is one person from Tamil Nadu,” the official added. Such a complaint has been lodged for legal purposes. A similar plaint was filed when Coast Guard’s Dornier went missing last year. The wreckage of the aircraft was later found off Cuddalore.
2016-07-25 10:16 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
58 Mumbai: Sole surviving 26/11 canine hero lands in hospital Losing Tiger was not easy for Caesar. Especially since he had lost most of his furry friends in the last eight months. The 11-year-old Labrador, who was also part of the bomb squad during 26/11, developed a high temperature and had to be rushed to the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) on Saturday. He has been kept under observation. Also read: Hero canine cop, who defused several bombs during 26/11 attacks dies Caesar at BSPCA, where he is being treated. Pic/Datta Kumbhar Caesar was unwell few days ago but had recovered. However, a day after his friend Tiger’s death, he was admitted to BSPCA on Sunday at around 1.30 pm and was observed as being weak and depressed. Caesar and his friends at Fizzah Shah’s farmhouse Lt. Colonel (Dr.) J. C. Khanna, secretary of BSPCA explained, “Ceasar is being treated for his high temperature. In dogs, 101 degree celsius is considered to be normal temperature. However, Ceasar has 105-degree temperature. He was given an injection and has been provided with ice packs all over his body to bring down the temperature.” Tiger’s death has been tough for his and Caesar’s caretaker, animal activist Fizzah Shah as well. Since 2015, Shah has been taking care of five police dogs — Goldie, Sultan, Tiger, Max and Caesar. Goldie was sent to Shah’s Virar farmhouse by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)’s Bomb Detections and Disposal Squad (BDDS), while brothers Tiger and Sultan retired from the Goregaon unit, Max and Ceasar retired from the Ballard Pier Bomb Detection Squad. The dogs enjoyed the farm and it’s large area but sadly, one after the other, they passed away, except Caesar. Goldie was the first one to leave her friends in December 2015, while Sultan passed away on June 18, Max on April 6 and Tiger on July 23. 12-year-old Tiger who helped the police detect bombs during the 26/11 attacks, suffered from lung infection since a year and passed away on Saturday. Caretaker says Shah said, “It’s not easy having lost all of them in such a short span of time. Caesar is the only one remaining from the group of five who have performed various tasks for our country.”
2016-07-25 10:14 By Neha www.mid-day.com
59 Syrian migrant 'behind Germany explosion' Munich: A failed asylum seeker from Syria killed himself and injured 12 others after setting off a bomb near an open-air music festival in the German city of Ansbach, officials said early Monday. A Syrian man holds the body of his child after it was taken from under the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Marjah in the northern city of Aleppo. Pic/ AFP Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the 27-year-old man detonated a backpack device after being refused entry to the festival in the southern city on Sunday night due to the lack of a ticket, the BBC reported. About 2,500 people were evacuated from the venue after the explosion. The explosion was reported to have occurred at about 10.10 p.m. outside the Eugen's Weinstube wine bar which is a short distance from the entrance to the Ansbach Open Music Festival. The festival has been cancelled, officials confirmed. The suspected attacker had entered Germany two years ago and had his asylum claim rejected a year ago, BBC quoted Herrmann as saying. He was given leave to stay temporarily given the situation in his home country and provided with an apartment in Ansbach, he added. The minister said he was "incensed" by the attack, which he said demonstrated the need "to strengthen controls on those we have living in our country", BBC reported. Herrmann said the man was known to have attempted suicide twice before, adding: "We don't know if this man planned on suicide or if he had the intention of killing others. " However, he said the explosives in the man's backpack would have been sufficient to kill and injur many more people. The man, who has not yet been identified, stood around the festival entrance for a short period before he blew himself up, CNN reported citing Bavarian police officials as saying. This was the third attack in the state of Bavaria in a week. On Sunday, a man killed a pregnant woman with a machete in Reutlingen. The 21-year-old Syrian asylum seeker came to Germany one year ago, according to a police statement, and he was known to police for property thefts and assault, CNN noted. Police said the woman was 45 years old and from Poland. On Friday, a man in Munich went on a shooting spree in a busy shopping district, killing nine people before killing himself, authorities said. Authorities have not found a link to terror groups. Police said he may have planned the attack for a year, CNN added.
2016-07-25 10:09 By IANS www.mid-day.com
60 CM Devendra Fadnavis meets Kopardi rape victim's family Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and minister Ram Shinde yesterday met family members of the gang-rape victim at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district. Also read: Cops stop Prakash Ambedkar from visiting Kopardi Fadnavis expressed his deepest condolences and assured strongest action against the culprit and strictest punishment through a fast-track court. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis A large number of people were present at the time in Kopardi, a CMO official said. The CM interacted with them and assured in his short speech that government will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice. The 15-year-old girl was brutally raped and killed by three men at Kopardi in Ahmednagar on July 13, when she was returning after meeting her grandfather. She was allegedly accosted by three men, who gangraped her before strangling her. Also read: NCP man dozes off as colleague attacks Maharashtra over minor's gang rape The victim, a student of Std IX, had reportedly been mutilated, and local accounts suggest that she was found with her hair pulled out, and hands and teeth broken. She was found with both shoulders dislocated, police said. The crime sparked protests across the state, with people taking to the streets demanding action against the accused, while the Congress demanded the resignation of the CM on moral grounds. Police said all three of the accused were arrested by the local crime branch after the incident. Fadnavis had informed the assembly last week that the accused have been booked under sections 376 (rape) and 302 (murder) of the IPC, and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Also read: Maharashtra govt to seek death penalty in Kopardi rape, says Devendra Fadnavis He had also said that noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam has been appointed as the public prosecutor in the case and the government has given solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the victim’s family.
2016-07-25 10:06 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
61 The LGBT Bandwagon Rolls On On July 14 the California board of education added LGBT mandates to the state’s new K-12 social studies program revised for the first time in ten years. This ended a long struggle over school-based Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender studies, playing out for decades inside and outside the state. The San Francisco Chronicle “a landmark move that puts the ongoing LGBT civil rights fight into the mainstream of public education.” The newly adopted state curriculum is “not only acknowledging diversity,” commented state superintendent of public instruction Tom Torlakson with customary insight, “but celebrating our diversity as a strength.” California has had enormous influence on the nation’s history textbooks and curricula in the past. In 2011, after years of debate, state , the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful Education Act (called FAIR) required elementary and high schools to highlight LGBT issues. Gay activists, led by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), FAIR’s author, had insisted that censorship and silence perpetuated negative stereotypes of LGBT people and led to increased bullying. , an LGBT lobby group behind FAIR, echoes, “by seeing themselves reflected in lessons and materials, students’ experiences are validated and their sense of self-worth reinforced, creating the opportunity for students to be able to achieve academically.” These claims are hard to substantiate but are part of LGBT script. Bad idea number one: California’s new LGBT lessons start in the state’s elementary schools, in second and fourth grade. Family diversity is a key curricular theme for California’s second graders. So the framework reads: But where in this eclectic mix are Mom and Dad, you know, married, male and female, living together, functional with children? Even asking the question is a progressive faux pas, I suppose. The new fourth-grade framework for California state history includes The curriculum singles out as an identity hero the gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, killed by a madman in 1978. California has one of the world’s most interesting histories. To abridge the study of Indians or missions, the Transcontinental Railroad, or trade water, oil, and agriculture for LGBT marginalia is a curricular travesty. LGBT activists wanted more from the state than they got. A from the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, a panel of LGBT luminaries sanctioned by the American Historical Association, called for a “transformational approach,” not “minimal compliance.” The Committee proposes that fourth-graders learn “how settlers and missionaries sought to impose European American concepts of gender and sexuality on Native American societies.” They meet a Kutenai female- to-male person who is said to have assisted Europeans in their explorations of the Oregon Country. The guide plan makes much of “same-sex intimacies in frontier conditions and the Gold Rush era” and of “transient male laborers who worked in logging, agriculture, and railroad construction.” Singled-out as a study icon is “Charley Parkhurst, who was female-assigned at birth but who lived as a man, operated a stagecoach, stage station, and saloon, and voted as a man in the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley between 1856 and 1879.” Fourth-grade is “a great time for critical thinking,” Don Romesburg of Sonoma State University and the Committee’s spokesman , “to get people to think about birth-assigned gender” and Gold Rush era cross-dressing. Is this man kidding or insane? These are ten-year-old children. Activists of all kinds want a classroom megaphone for themselves. They want uncontested control of one or another narrative, and in California, aggressive leftists have controlled history curriculum development for decades. Powerful state networks demand that schools strengthen students’ emotional bonds with feminism, black and brown power, LGBT rights, globalism, immigration, and more. Placing designated groups and causes front stage and center, new heroes come out of nowhere, to stand as symbols of victory over the old order, while old heroes are debunked or erased. The study of significant events, ideas, or achievements shrinks to make way for the cultivation of politically correct thought. Some LGBT activists want to gay up the whole K-12 curriculum, not only history and social studies. It’s part of the progressive “transformational approach” to acceptable thought. Parents increasingly find themselves pitted against a leftist ruling class that enacts pointed classroom lessons unconnected to what most parents want their children to learn. For many education progressives, if you don’t buy the whole package from Black Lives Matter to Caitlin Jenner’s awakening, you may be a racist, hater, or religious nut. Put yourself in the shoes of a striving, tax-paying California parent in a “decent” school district. Your frustration is rising and intense. You want to be a “liberal.” But you keep watching the rug being pulled out from underneath your children. You endure any number of classroom programs with overt political agendas. You hate them all. You realize that lawmakers and state boards are finding it politically impossible to favor or idealize the male-and-female married with children family. Elementary schoolchildren are being taught to minimize, question, or reject time-honored verities, instincts, and family styles. Second and fourth graders are innocent and asexual. Force-feeding them inappropriate, fatuous lessons they can barely understand is a cultural crime. If Hillary Clinton’s It Takes a Village-style policies triumph in November, diversity education’s lock on public education is bound to grow tighter.
2016-07-25 10:02 Gilbert T spectator.org
62 62 Old Men With Big Serves There was a moment at the final of the Washington Open when I thought the spectators should be reprimanded for biggism. If the six-eleven guy hit long or out of bounds, they cheered. If he netted, they cheered. If he hit a spectacular return of serve, quick as a whip across the court and unreachable, there was subdued clapping. If he hit a monster ace, there was subdued clapping. You get the drift. By contrast, if the other guy did any of the preceding, the crowd roared. When he broke the big guy’s service — the first opponent in the week-long tournament to do so — the crowd acted as if the Chicago Cubs had won the pennant. It was unseemly. Observe that Gaël Monfils is no little guy. He is six-four and though lean and wiry at 177 pounds, he is more than what used to be called wiry; he is tough and strong, fast, with a tremendous punch-back power. He displayed this over and over by returning the Big Man’s services, which seemed to run from 136 (the first) to 135 (the second). That is not accurate, the typical Ivo Karlovic second serve is in the mid-120s. To get those back over the net takes muscle, sheer, unvarnished muscle, the kind you get from lifting sides of beef. Biggism was not the issue. There are other very tall players on the Tour, including several of the much-touted “next-gen” champs who are said to be the future of American tennis. They are champs — they swept the Grand Slam Juniors a year ago, the first time in memory all four majors’ junior tournaments were won by American boys, and there is no doubt they are awfully talented. Several of them were here last week, and they and their near-next-gen colleagues, let us say, broadly, players under 25, looked fine, promising. Ryan Harrison for example did very well until he ran into Steve Johnson, who did very well until he ran into Ivo Karlovic in the semis. Taylor Fritz, who is 18, looked good in the first round against Dudi Sela but he did not look so good against Alexander Zverev in the next one, and Zverev, at 19, is the German next-gen answer to the American next-gen. Zverev did much better than his American contemporaries, going another round against Tunisian veteran Malek Jaziri, and yet another one against French mid-vet Benoît Paire. Then he got blown off the court by Gaël Monfils, though admittedly he was unwell that day. Kids often are. Anyway, Zverev is six-six, hundred-ninety. These are not little guys. Other American next-gens at the Washington Open — currently the Citi Open but in the past the Washington Star Open and other names — included Reilly Opelka, 18, six-eleven, two hundred ten. So, biggism, shmiggism — I say phooey. Ivo Karlovic, who is from Zagreb, capital of Croatia, is a man with a wry sense of humor, very low-octane. He claims he is old enough to be some of his opponents’ father and may be — immediately adding that he is kidding. It might make a good self-deprecating line, but then it should be delivered without the disclaimer — like his enormous take-no-prisoners serves. Note, on the subject of serves, that a big server brings out the best in others’ serves. Ivo’s opponents, notably Jack Sock (next-gen broadly defined) and Steve Johnson (not next gen), have huge serves. But Ivo’s serve — even Monfils, who is the kind of player who scrambles after almost anything, not infrequently just looked and let himself get aced. As in baseball, “strike outs looking.” It is true that at 37 (an earlier dispatch may have given his age erroneously as the youthful 35) he is getting on a bit for tennis pro, and yet Roger Federer is almost there, and so are the best American players on the women’s side of the Tour, Venus and Serena Williams. Pancho Gonzales — but I have mentioned him so often in these chronicles that you, the reader, you know about Pancho Gonzales. Ivo should, one would think, have been better received. His was a kind of cinderella story. He started out badly this year, as he has many years, but he has been having a much improved spring and summer, with a win at Newport last week. He is big but, in reality, he is the underdog, the long- suffering striver, longing for redemption and victory. Monfils is popular on the American circuit, largely because he unabashedly loves to visit and play in America. A couple years ago I saw him play John Isner, by no means an unpopular player, at the U. S. Open, and the raucous crowd was not only pro-Monfils, it was wildly and often unfairly anti-Isner. So, a certain pro-Monfils foundation at the outset, understandable. A child of Paris, born of Antillais (Caribbean islands) parents who moved to the métropole (mainland) before he was born (the islands are French départments [counties], not colonies), he speaks with the slang-laced irreverence of a big-city kid, but he has all the formal politeness and serieux of a proper French public person when, for example, sitting at a press conference after a match. Everything was expected of this child phenom who won not one but three of the Grand Slam junior championships. He has been an ATP Masters champion more than once. But thus far the Slams themselves elude him, as do the Masters 1000’s (e.g., Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, where he made it to the final this year, losing to Rafael Nadal); in fact, the win at Washington is his first 500. This is odd, admittedly. Monfils is not, like Ivo Karlovic, a very good but not- quite-great athlete. Sports are filled with the latter. They are fantastic, but they lack the magic that distinguishes a Roger Federer or a Clayton Kershaw. Monfils has the magic. But — something happens, and he does not find the “window” that he says he patiently waited for the break into Karlovic’s serve, as no one had been able to do all week. Or maybe, against a Federer or a Djokovic, it’s that he forgets to close his windows. This is fine, I suppose. It leaves us with the space of mystery that makes awe possible. Ivo Karlovic, for a two fantastic weeks — he won last week at the Hall of Fame Classic at Newport, R. I., and had a wonderful run this week in Washington — seemed almost to be saying, I am too to be counted with the greatest. But, modest and virtuous, he would in fact never say it. He had a markedly improved game in many respects, compared to the past, ah, 15 or 20 years that we have been watching that big serve and then the deflation after a round or two. Though no one, even the players he was beating, seemed to want to give him credit, the fact is that Ivo has a remarkably nimble and sure-handed net game. It is not just his broad reach, though of course that helps. He catches attempted passing shots remarkably well, with the “soft hands” of a great net man like Brian Baker, whacking them back toward the lines on either side where his opponent cannot reach them. He has, on occasion, a deadly return of serve, a bolt of lightning that you can only look at. He can hit a good deep groundstroke with the forehand, resist with the backhand and wait for an opening. Observers do not give him credit for these skills, because of that big serve. And of course, they are right: improvements there have been, but Ivo Karlovic still depends on his serve-and-volley game to win. That is why he cannot beat a top player. In Monfils, this past week, he finally met the man who can beat the mighty Ace, because Monfils is a top player, without being in the top of the rankings — such is the Monfils mystery. Maybe that, finally, is why the crowd was so partisan. They have adopted Gaël Monfils, he is like an honorary American, so there is that; but more, he has the all-court game, the clever tactics plus the toughness plus the power (he hit almost as many aces as Ivo in this match) plus the combination of aw-shucks-let’s-have-some-fun and extreme-focus-and-attention-to-detail that characterizes Americans. (It is precisely when he lets these traits down and plays like a Frenchman that he loses.) The Citi Open crowd was not anti-Croatian or anything so geopolitical. They just saw in the big, serious, seemingly laconic man an emissary from a distant culture, whereas in Gaël they found one of their own. He has not won as much as he rightly should have. Late bloomings are always possible — Steve Johnson surely proves that. But the gift of Gaël Monfils to American tennis may well be to show the next-gen hotshots that it is not enough to be a next-gen hot shot (as he was, avant la lettre), what you need is work, and versatility, and adaptability, and more work. 2016-07-25 10:03 Roger Kaplan spectator.org
63 The American Spectator When Hillary Clinton chose Tim Kaine as her vice presidential nominee, what she was really choosing was one of the two major characteristics defining her as a politician. Clinton could, had the notion struck her, picked Sherrod Brown or Liz Warren as her running mate. In doing so she would have fully embraced her record as a left-wing ideologue. Her party’s Hard Left base, a large segment if not a majority of which opted for Bernie Sanders as their Democrat primary choice, don’t fully believe that Hillary is a full-on leftist. That despite her record of attempting to mandate socialized medicine when given an opportunity to remake America’s healthcare system, a nearly pristine leftist voting record in the Senate, and a youth spent as a disciple of Saul Alinsky. It’s just not enough, given that her husband was something of a centrist as president, she’s raked millions of dollars in sweaty Wall Street money for indeterminate services rendered, and she conducted a rather interventionist foreign policy as Secretary of State (though with results few could argue qualify her for a promotion). Instead, Clinton went with a choice reflecting her dominant characteristic — political inside dealing. Rather than a member of the Democrats’ socialist vanguard the nominee is Virginia senator Tim Kaine, who in this age of rigid partisanship almost qualifies as a conservative Democrat (the American Conservative Union gives him a lifetime score of 0, but the Hard Left sees him as a tool of the big banks. Kaine has been in elected office for 22 straight years, getting elected as Richmond’s mayor when he was 36 and not earning a dime in the private sector since. But as we know, the Democrats don’t have too many people with experience in real jobs among their leaders. And as we also know, it’s a rare Democrat politician who isn’t a leftist ideologue, a Third World kleptocrat, or both. Hillary’s going with the latter, more or less. But her convention will celebrate both. We know that hard-core cultural Marxism and runaway wealth redistribution will be on offer; just look at the speaker list for the four-day soiree in Philadelphia. Among the names on that list are members of Mothers of the Movement; a number of women whose children were killed in interracial police shootings and who are therefore stars among the Black Lives Matter movement. Lezley McSpadden might be the most prominent of those. She is Mike Brown’s mother. Matt Walsh, writing last week at the Blaze, summed up perfectly how offensive it is for her to be addressing the crowd in Philadelphia… I feel empathy for any mother who loses a child, but McSpadden is not a voice for peace or unity. Perhaps her message could have some positive impact if she admitted that her son got himself killed by his own actions and then urged other parents to teach their children discipline and respect so as to avoid her son’s awful fate, but that’s most emphatically not her message. She still claims that her son’s civil rights were violated and that the cop was a racist killer. In McSpadden’s view, her son apparently had the civil right to beat and throttle a police officer without fear of consequence. It’s perhaps understandable that a mother would struggle to come to terms with the fact that her son’s death was his own fault — although it’s somewhat less understandable that McSpadden got into physical fights only days after the incident over who gets to sell Michael Brown merchandise, and that her husband stood up in front of protesters and urged them to “Burn this bitch down.” Still, the reluctance to confront the full reality of the situation can be forgiven. Lord knows what I would say if, God forbid, my son got himself shot and his last two acts on Earth were to violently rob a convenience store then set upon a police officer and savagely beat him for no reason. My only hope is that consistent, attentive, and competent parenting will prevent him from turning into the kind of young man capable of such wickedness. The Black Lives Matter movement won’t be the only special interest pandered to in Philly. The speaker’s list includes illegal aliens, minimum wage increase advocates, gun controllers and the disabled, among others. We’ll even see a transgendered speaker whom you’ve never heard of. Bruce Jenner wasn’t available, so instead the Democrats have given us someone named Sarah McBride, who is advertised as the press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, one of the most prominent Gay Mafia families. As for prominent names on the speaker list, they’ll all be there — but of the 50 governors, senators, Members of Congress and others who are supposedly addressing the convention, none of them are being put forth as keynote speakers. On Monday, those are Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama. On Tuesday, Bill Clinton. On Wednesday, Joe Biden and Barack Obama. And on Thursday, Chelsea and Hillary Clinton. Maybe that’s because so many of them are in such poor odor with the American public. The Democrats are trying to win not just the White House, after all, but the House and Senate and maybe even some governor’s mansions and statehouses. That’s why even though Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Sheila Jackson Lee, Terry McAuliffe, Tom Wolf and Karen Weaver (the mayor of Flint, Michigan who we all know has done such a good job) are all listed as speakers during the convention, you can bet they’ll be brief and hustled off the stage quickly. Hillary can’t exactly deny them the right to speak, but taken as a whole that list simply validates the understanding that this is a rogue’s gallery of corrupt operators and malefactors whose only innovation as political leaders is their having developed great skill at weaponizing their failure to govern. But that’s today’s Democrats. And the show they’ll be putting on will be a smorgasbord of sleaze, a saturnalia of socialism and a gala of grievance. It’ll be something for everybody, so long as they’re looking for government swag. Which is why it doesn’t matter how terrible Hillary’s convention is. So long as she can trot out promises to the clientele, she can lock in the votes from people who don’t care who’s doling out the goods. She can be as awful as she wants, and so can her party. And they will be this week.
2016-07-25 10:03 Scott McKay spectator.org
64 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: T Does Cleveland With everything that could’ve gone wrong, Cleveland was a heckuva week for T. The media were in full no-more- nice-guy mood, street-lefties were ready to rumble and the cops were antsy, ready for some serious headcracking. But here we are at week-end with the party in reasonably good shape and T’s ticket running even with the dowager empress and her faux-Catholic veep. All of us liked Cleveland better than T, frankly. For the political world, it was National Speechwriter Week, the ultimate spinners’ reunion. T gets all bent out of shape whenever the spotlight wanders away. First, there was the Melania swipe. Anybody who’s ever written a speech knows how it happened. The Obama sentences were inserted as a placeholder and nobody remembered to clean them up later. The media tried to play it as the Heist of the Century, but stuff happens and even Lyin’ Brian knew it was two-bit stuff. As a sometime speechwriter myself, I wondered why anybody would lay claim to that pile of leaden clichés. Godawful speech. It’s probably illegal to say this in most Eastern states, but no straight male cares what Melania’s saying, anyway. Then there was Ted the Magician, who against impossible odds managed to piss off everybody in the hall. Amazing, when you consider that several thousand of them had already voted for him. The man has the largest tin ear in American politics, has to schlep it around in a wheelbarrow. (But for Ted the Magician’s closing burst, Kasich as the absent, boorish host would have coasted to victory as Horse’s Ass of the Year.) You remember the cliché of a year ago, that the GOP had a historically large and rarely talented field of candidates? Large, okay. But remind me, who were the rarely talented candidates? I feel sorry for Mike Pence and maybe not for the last time. He gives the speech of his life. It’s damn-near perfect. (That McConnell can still spin some yarn, can’t he?) And what happens? Ted the Magician pees on his shoes and everybody forgets Pence. And maybe not for the last time. At least Pence now has a stump speech ready for primetime in Altoona, Pocatello, and Muscatine. Then there were the Trump kids and especially that long draught of vodka, Ivanka. She’s a great act, isn’t she? Poised, charming, apolitical and thoroughly Trumpish. Within twelve hours, she’s hawking her stunning sheath-dress at $150 a copy. The Trump kids were brought up to believe that it’s a terrible thing to waste a TV audience of thirty million consumers. Thursday night — Big Finish! — T himself takes the stage. If the venue had been outdoors we would have done a flyby with F-15s, upside down as they passed the stadium. Inside the Q, we tried to go with drones but security wasn’t happy — some insurance problem with the possibility that delegates could be decapitated. Fuss, fuss, fuss. So we scaled back to forty-foot swaths of gold and gilt letters flashing the brand name. A little touch of home to make T feel comfortable. No doubt about it, T’s a presence. Other than Russell Crowe and maybe Hugh Jackman, who can walk to a podium through billowing smoke? Fantastic. But T’s speech was too long and too angry and too richly composted. (Elliott seems to have a lost a few miles off the old fastball, hasn’t he?) But if the folks out there wanted a collector’s album of T’s greatest hits, they got it — trade, immigration, cops, vets, walls, deals, the whole quesadilla. Saturday, the dowager empress tried to step on our convention by rushing out her VP pick, Tim Kaine. Are you kidding me? Tim Kaine? He should have driven up to the podium in a Prius. He’s the kind of Catholic who tells you how devout he is while rejecting any Church tenets that might apply to him. The kind of Southerner who tells his constituents he’s with them on everything but their regional values. The kind of senator who has always taken the road most travelled. The kind of career politician who couldn’t leave a footprint in wet sand. Tim Kaine? Thanks, Your Highness, we’ll take him. I’m being shipped out tomorrow to California. Our pollster — the new one, the tall guy — says it’s in play. Or maybe I’m just being shipped out. Whatever, this diary may go untended for a while. Talk among yourselves.
2016-07-25 10:02 Willis Fumbleton spectator.org
65 18yo German-Iranian goes on shooting rampage in Munich: Facts known so far — RT News LIVE UPDATES on Munich mall shooting READ LATEST: 18yo German-Iranian goes on shooting rampage, kills 9 in Munich The rampage took place at the Olympia mall, one of Munich’s biggest shopping centers, and at an adjacent McDonald’s at around 5:50pm local time on Friday. The gunman opened indiscriminate fire at city’s residents sending them running in panic. Shots were fired both inside the mall and on nearby streets, with disturbing footage showing the assailant firing at people in front of the fast food restaurant. The shooting left 10 people dead including one person who died in a hospital and the shooter himself. At least 27 others were injured, some critically, police spokesman Marcus da Gloria Martins said. All of the dead bodies were found in or around the Olympia mall. Although initial reports said at least three gunmen were at large, police later announced that only one shooter is most likely to have carried out the rampage. “We found a man who killed himself. We assume that he was the only shooter,” Munich police department announced. The attacker was identified as an 18-year-old German-Iranian, later named "David S. " in an unsourced report by Spiegel. The shooters motives “are still unclear” according to police, despite various speculation online ranging from nationalism to terrorism. While they the incident was dubbed a terror attack police said there was “no indication” of links to radicalism. Munich shooting not connected to refugees or ISIS - Bavaria police chief The investigation is focusing on the gunman's motives and his social circle to find out if the shooting was a lone-wolf attack or an act of terror, the police told TASS later on Saturday. The shooter's connection to any terror group is yet unconfirmed. Later on Saturday, police said forensic units had found no evidence pointing to Islamic State-related (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) links in his flat. However, Bavarian Police Chief Hubertus Andrae told a news conference on Saturday they retrieved documents related to killing sprees, including a book describing the rationale behind school shootings. No organization immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting. However, Islamic State’s supporters have been reportedly celebrating online. Police warned against speculations about the attack. Following the incident Munich was placed under a state of emergency. The city went into lockdown and significant parts of the city’s transport systems were suspended. A special hotline has been set up for concerned citizens, Germany's Interior Ministry said. Citizens were urged to stay home. Late Friday night police were examining the backpack on the dead man believed to be the only perpetrator for possible explosives which was found one kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the mall. The 18-year-old shooter used a 9mm Glock semiautomatic pistol and carried 300 rounds in his rucksack, police officials told reporters later on Saturday. It is still unclear whether he was an experienced shooter, but Glock pistols are common among special forces and the military worldwide, and are known for their accuracy and reliability. It was also revealed that the shooter had created a fake Facebook account, signing in under the female name "Selina Akim" to urge people to come to the mall for a food giveaway, according to the Daily Telegraph. "I can buy you something that's not too expensive," the shooter wrote. Shooting rampage at Munich mall continues EU terror trend Munich attack is the second attack in Germany in less than a week. On Monday a 17-year-old axe-wielding Afghan injured four people on a train near the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg and another woman outside while he was fleeing the scene.
2016-07-25 10:03 www.rt.com
66 Ansbach resident talks to RT after Bavaria blast — RT News FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES on Bavaria bomb blast WATCH RT's special coverage of Bavaria blast aftermath “With the police cars and emergency vehicles passing by I decided to come to the scene. By the time I came to the scene part of the road was blocked off. A lot of emergency vehicles were all around. I was just asking questions. People were giving me conflicting reports but finally I got to the source, ” Albert Amara told RT. “By that time the police were in full force and it was just confusion in the area at the moment and that’s when I turned my camera on and started recording,” he said. “They confirmed that there were [multiple people] ... wounded ... at first they were reporting it was a gas explosion but finally they came on TV and said it was a bomb from a backpack,” Albert Amara added. “When I got there, they had taken the body out... the police were there in full force.”
2016-07-25 10:03 www.rt.com
67 Plaques posted outside Boris Johnson’s house mock him as ‘destroyer’ of London — RT UK The plaques featured a hint of dark British humor, reading: “Boris Johnson, 1964 -, BOJO, destroyer of cosmopolitan unity & passer of buck lives here,” in reference to his role in the Brexit referendum. But, one Twitter user has previously made a more realistic suggestion for a Boris plaque. Johnson, the key backer of the ‘Leave’ campaign, was widely criticized for pulling out of the Conservative leadership race after David Cameron resigned in wake of the referendum outcome. In his first appearance with US Secretary of State John Kerry in London last week, Johnson was embarrassingly grilled for his past “outright lies” by an American journalist for previously describing “part-Kenyan” Barack Obama as having an “ancestral dislike” of the UK. READ MORE: Boris Johnson & the strange case of the British foreign secretaries The anonymous plaque protester told Metro he thought “BOJO” had “destroyed” the city of London and said “people will have to move” as a result of Brexit. “Boris has destroyed my city as an act of callous arrogance,” the unnamed protester reportedly said. “He gets away with it. He’s unpeggable in every way you’d care to mention. “People’s lives are going to be seriously messed up because he thought it was the best way to become prime minister. If that’s not callous, I don’t know what is.”
2016-07-25 10:02 www.rt.com
68 Americans want tougher gun laws, ban of assault weapons – poll — RT America In June and July, 64 percent of the 1,000 Americans said they wanted stricter gun control laws, compared to 55 percent in 2013, when Associated Press-GfK first started asking the question. Eleven percent said the laws should be less strict, while 23 percent wanted them the way they are now. Among the suggested measures people polled overwhelmingly supported federal standards for gun buyers’ background checks and a ban on sales to people on a federal terrorism list, regardless of whether they had been convicted of any crime. Both are supported by 73 percent of people polled and opposed to by 10 percent. People also strongly favored criminal liability for adults if their guns are used by children to hurt someone. The suggestions to ban the sale of semi- automatic weapons like the AR-15 rifle and high-capacity magazines are supported by 57 percent and 53 percent respectively, while 25 percent oppose both. Such restrictions however are not favored by gun-owning households. Radical gun control measures like a nationwide ban on sale of handguns or mandatory sale of guns by owners to the federal government were rejected by the Americans. By a 55 percent to 43 percent margin, respondents said laws limiting ownership do not infringe on the Second Amendment.\ People were split over their attitude towards the National Rifle Association, with an equal percentage saying that they favored or disfavored the organization. However, 42 percent said the NRA had too much influence in the US as compared 38 percent who said it had the right amount and 17 percent saying it had too little. The majority of the people polled said they were concerned to at least some degree that they or their family members may fall victim to gun violence in general or a mass shooting in particular. Nonwhites are significantly more likely to be very or extremely concerned, the poll showed. READ MORE: Background check data confirms typical US response to mass shooting: Buy more guns “If you live in the United States in these days right now, you have to be concerned,” Milonne Ambroise, a 63-year-old administrative assistant from Decatur, Georgia, told AP-GfK. “You could be on the street somewhere. You could be at a shopping mall thinking there will be a mass shooting and you will be in the middle of it. You can't not think about it.” Support for gun control is growing in the US amid a string of high-profile cases of gun violence in the country. The latest AP-GfK poll was taken shortly after the massacre in an Orlando nightclub, which left 50 people dead, including the gunman. It was the second-deadliest mass shooting in the US history. Almost 60 percent of respondents said the Obama Administration hadn’t handled gun control well, but the people were split on which presidential candidate in the 2016 race would do a better job. An equal percentage of 36 points favored Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to tackle gun laws while 23 percent said they trusted neither to do it.
2016-07-25 10:02 www.rt.com
69 DNC Vice Chairman Referred To Megyn Kelly As A 'Bimbo' A Democratic National Committee vice chairman referred to Megyn Kelly as a “bimbo” in response to her May interview with Donald Trump, according to an email released by WikiLeaks. “Yes, Trumpet was right, Megyn Kelly is a bimbo,” was the title of a near one thousand word email sent by Steven Ybarra, who is a retired attorney and owner of a management consulting firm along with being the pacific regional vice chair for the DNC Hispanic Caucus, according to his biography on his company’s website. “According to an online definition a Bimbo is an attractive but empty- headed young woman, especially one perceived as a willing sex object in other words a slut. If you need help with that definition, you need to stop reading and go back to school. So how did I reach the conclusion you may ask,” Ybarra began. Ybarra then went into a diatribe in which he suggested Kelly was a bimbo because she wasn’t tough enough with Trump during her Fox Broadcast special in May . “Fox concerned about its ratings and the loss of revenue sat Kelly down and told her to fix this. (See bimbo above network.) She and Trumpet had a one hour private meeting. Want to guess what he told her in that meeting?” “Note it was her responsibility as the victim to show that it was ok. How did that happen, in case you missed it Kelly did a one on one televised interview, (no pun intended) with Trumpet?” he said. Ybarra repeatedly referred to Trump as Trumpet, presumably in a derogatory manner and once referred to the Fox News Channel as the Fascist News Network. Ybarra concluded by stating Kelly’s behavior in the interview showed she is not a role model: “Kelly has proved (sic) that she is no model for working women. She is the worst example to our young women who strive to succeed as professionals.” Ybarra emailed this response to TheDC: “If you read my bio at the bottom of the posting you will know who I am. If you read the editorial you will know why I referred to her a bimbo.” Ybarra is no stranger to controversy. In 2008 as a Democratic super- delegate, Ybarra found himself in hot water when he suggested he’d sell his vote for $20 million. The stunt was an attempt to get investment in the Hispanic community, Ybarra said at the time, and was never meant to be taken literally. DNC Communications Chief Luis Miranda did not respond to a request for comment. In the emails released by WikiLeaks, the DNC made it clear that Democrats would attempt to paint Trump as a misogynist in part because of sexist statements he’s made, including referring to Rosie O’Donnell as a pig. “Wrong on Women: Dangerous Donald has a decades-long record of denigrating women and promoting misogyny. His policies would make it harder for women to make their own choices when it comes to their healthcare or their career.” “Trump once said you had to treat women ‘like s**t’ and has spent decades doing so himself by calling women names – ‘fat pig,’ ‘slob,’ or ‘bimbo’ – and saying a man needs a woman to support him at home rather than always be ‘griping and bitching,’” according to one May 2016 email of Democratic talking points. While Trump has been accused of using misogynistic language he also hired Barbara Res to be the first woman to oversee a construction project in the 1980s. Res has since come out in favor of Hillary Clinton, saying Trump has bad policies and the wrong temperament to be president. A November 2015 profile from the Washington Post entitled “ Donald Trump, a champion of women? His female employees think so ” found he championed his female employees. Though WikiLeaks released these emails on Friday, the fallout has already been swift. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC chairwoman, has been removed as a speaker at the upcoming Democratic convention. (RELATED: Debbie Wasserman Schultz To Step Down As DNC Chair)
2016-07-25 10:00 dailycaller.com
70 Ginnie Mae Hired Fake CPA To Run $1.9 Trillion Portfolio Officials at the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) hired a tax scofflaw with a resume including a false claim to be a certified public accountant (CPA) as chief financial officer (CFO) and put him in charge of a $1.5 trillion loan portfolio. David Fender shirked his official duties and instead ran a government contracting company out of the government office building. He had just been fired from his previous job for running that contracting firm on company time, and Ginnie Mae officials knew it — and that he lied about it — when they hired him. Ginnie Mae, an agency in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), left Fender at the helm from April, 2014, to April, 2015, even though it quickly became clear he was unqualified. He left Ginnie Mae’s finances in such disrepair that HUD’s inspector general said $6.6 billion couldn’t be audited. Fender got the position of vice president and CFO of the federal government’s mortgage-backing agency not long after volatility in that sector led to a national financial collapse in 2008. “Fender used his public office for private gain, falsely reported his income … and provided false information on the resume,” the IG said in an April, 2015, report obtained by tThe Daily Caller News Foundation under the Freedom of Information Act. The IG concluded Fender committed multiple crimes that could bring jail time. Fender was hired as Ginnie Mae’s CFO despite an undistinguished resume of failed business deals in Japan and jobs with U. S. companies he didn’t keep for long. His pet project was Cold Energy Systems, which sells steel tanks to governments. The reference check done during Fender’s Ginnie Mae background investigation revealed his penchant for taking and neglecting corporate jobs to pay the bills while he brokered big-dollar side deals. Fender’s previous boss told Ginnie Mae’s background checkers that Fender “did not sell to meet quota nor was he accountable to his whereabouts. Travel often not approved or not reported. We had a suspicion that he was working for another company while employed by us.” He was not recommended “for a government security clearance or employment.” On his Ginnie Mae application, he checked a box saying he had not been removed from his previous job. Not long after being hired at Ginnie Mae, Fender was advertising that Cold Energy Systems was based at 550 12th St SW, the same address as Ginnie Mae’s headquarters. The IG suggested Fender used the address to “give the impression that Cold Energy Systems regularly did business with the federal government.” Cold Energy Systems is registered with the federal System for Award Management as seeking government contracts. “Government” comes first on the company’s website list of industries it says it serves. Investigators also found that Fender used his HUD email address “to gain favorable consideration” for money-making ventures, going out of his way to note his government connection in unrelated matters. When an ethics official asked Fender to clarify why he had left Cold Energy Systems revenue off of his government ethics disclosure even though any income of more than $5,000 must be listed, he “got huffy” and said “Fine. $5,000.” When she observed that he was obviously just saying that to placate her, he said, “Fine. $5,100,” the figure ultimately listed. Fender, who did not respond to TheDCNF’s requests for comment, was paid $179,000 annually by the government, based on his claim of making $170,000 in his previous job. Fender’s LinkedIn profile claims he has run Cold Energy Systems continuously from 2012 to the present and “Achieved US$ 1 mil in sales and over US$ 250,000 in after-tax profits in Year 1.” He later said he didn’t list the income on ethics disclosures because the company wasn’t profitable. Public records show he had a series of federal tax debts, including an outstanding federal tax lien for $128,000 in 2014. He signed government forms saying he had no tax debts. Fender told government investigators he “honestly didn’t know” about his $128,000 tax delinquency, despite serving in a high position in finance. Government auditors looking into why Ginnie Mae’s books were so messy easily determined he was not CPA, a fact that hadn’t been caught by hiring managers. When it was pointed out to him that falsely claiming to be a CPA is punishable with jail time, Fender claimed he didn’t know he wasn’t a CPA. A separate January, 2015, HUD IG report found that “Due to deficiencies in Ginnie Mae’s control environment, accounting practices used, and financial systems deployed,” there were “$6.6 billion in total assets that we were unable to audit.” The IG said Fender “should also be recognized as the underlying causes of problems facing Ginnie Mae” and observed that Ginnie Mae officials seemed hardly to care whether it had anyone keeping an eye on its money. The IG noted even if Fender’s qualifications as presented were taken at face value, his “resume indicated no federal financial management experience. The Deputy Chief Financial Officer position has remained vacant as of January 2015, more than a year after the former Deputy Chief Financial Officer left; and the announcement for the Controller position was not posted until January 2015, nine months after the former Controller left. “Ginnie Mae indicated that backfilling the vacancies was deferred temporarily to allow the new Chief Financial Officer an opportunity to assess the organization and overall staffing needs. We question how this could be that executive management would not have already known its staffing skills and needs in such an important office.” In April, 2015, Fender’s supervisor “said he intended to terminate Fender and that the action had been ‘in the hopper since before Christmas.” Prosecutors “declined to prosecute Fender due to [redacted] and the fact that HUD has initiated the process to terminate.” Fender’s LinkedIn profile says he left Ginnie Mae in April, 2015, but officials there declined to say whether he was given severance pay or provide other settlement details. Ginnie Mae spokeswoman Gina Screen declined to comment on her agency’s apathy about its financial management or say how taxpayers could be assured such a debacle won’t happen again. First in a two-part series. Check back Tuesday for the fascinating backstory of Fender’s cons. Follow Luke on Twitter. Send tips to [email protected]. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-07-25 10:00 Investigative Reporter dailycaller.com
71 Sexy Josie Canseco Playboy Pictures Josie Canseco is the daughter of former baseball player Jose Canseco , and she’s making a big name for herself. Josie has been in several music videos and is taking the next large step forward by posing for Playboy. (SLIDESHOW: UFC Star Arianny Celeste Is Nearly Naked For All Her Fans In These Pictures) Follow David on Twitter and Facebook
2016-07-25 10:00 dailycaller.com
72 Best-Selling TaoTronics Bluetooth Speaker On Sale TaoTronics is one of the Daily Dealer’s favorite brands, as the company makes some of the best electronics devices on the market. As such, we’re constantly on the lookout for TaoTronics sales. Our watch paid off. These TaoTronics bluetooth speakers are on sale. Usually $130, these #1 Best Selling speakers are only $50 right now. That’s 62 percent off. It’s not often you can find a discount like this on the #1 best selling speaker (Photo via Amazon) Bluetooth Speakers TaoTronics Boom X Stereo 20W Wireless Portable Speaker on sale for $49.99 This device contains dual 10W speakers, dual passive subwoofers, a strong bass, Bluetooth 4.0 and a built-in microphone. The vast majority of customers gave it 5 stars, leading to its stellar 4.4-star rating. And just think: that’s when it costs $130! Imagine what the reviews would be like if people could always get it for this low. In addition to its professional sound — specifically its strong bass — TaoTronics touts this speakers aluminum-alloy look. It is sleek, without a doubt. This portable speaker is perfect for literally anywhere. Take it in your car, take it on your boat, take it wherever. For $50, this is an amazing deal. You can even place it next to your bed (Photo via Amazon) Have a suggestion for a cool product or great deal that you think Daily Caller readers need to know about? Email the Daily Dealer at [email protected] . Follow The Daily Dealer on Twitter and Facebook Follow Jack on Twitter The Daily Caller is devoted to showing you things that you’ll like or find interesting. We do have partnerships with affiliates, so The Daily Caller may get a small share of the revenue from any purchase.
2016-07-25 10:01 dailycaller.com
73 Debbie Wasserman Schultz Quits DNC Over Leaked Emails Debbie Wasserman Schultz mocked the Republican National Convention just days before she was forced to quit because her own party became embroiled in a scandal over leaked emails. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images) The Democratic National Committee chairwoman resigned on Sunday after leaked emails revealed that party officials conspired to sabotage Bernie Sanders’ campaign. Just six days before she quit, Wasserman Schultz ridiculed Reince Priebus on Twitter. Hey @Reince – I’m in Cleveland if you need another chair to help keep your convention in order. #RNCinCLE — D Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets) July 18, 2016 Someone warned her she was going to regret what she said. @DWStweets @Reince you’re going to regret this tweet next week — #DNCLeak #FireDWS (@MrDuckstep) July 18, 2016 “I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our next president is critical for America’s future,” Ms. Wasserman Schultz said in her statement Sunday. “I look forward to serving as a surrogate for her campaign in Florida and across the country to ensure her victory.” “Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals is to step down as party chair at the end of this convention.” (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) Guess we know who’s getting the last laugh. (RELATED: Debbie Wasserman Schultz To Step Down As DNC Chair)
2016-07-25 10:01 Entertainment Editor dailycaller.com
74 DNC Leak: Maybe Cruz's Dad Really WAS Part Of Anti-JFK Plot Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s oddball conspiracy theory that Sen. Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the death of former President John F. Kennedy has received some unexpected support: the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Trump has repeatedly promoted the notion that Rafael Cruz met with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald’s assassination of Kennedy. The claim is based on a photo published in the National Enquirer which shows Oswald passing out leaflets supporting Fidel Castro while in New Orleans. The Enquirer claims another man seen in the photo handing out fliers is Cruz. The theory has generally been regarded as a long shot, to say the least. But in one of over 20,000 internal DNC emails released Friday by the group Wikileaks, DNC communications director Luis Miranda idly speculates that Cruz may genuinely have had some links to Cuban extremists, and through them to a plot to kill Kennedy. Miranda’s comments were made May 3, ironically, while preparing a DNC press release bashing Trump for promoting the Oswald theory. “While I will note that Cruz’s father was in fact a militant who fought the Batista regime (which Fidel Castro defeated),” Miranda says. “And it would not be unusual for him to be caught up in the ugly web of Cuban militants with questionable histories … I think this is a fun hit.” Miranda cites a variety of examples of suspicious Cuban characters in the U. S. that Cruz could have been “caught up” with, such as Watergate burglars Virgilio Gonzales and Eugenio Martinez, plane bomber Luis Posada Carriles , and militants active during wars in Central America. Notably, Posada has been a figure in some Kennedy conspiracy theories, with theorists alleging he has knowledge of an anti-Kennedy plot and may have been in Dealey Plaza the day Kennedy was shot. “Luis swooping in with the Cuban history!” Deputy communications director Christina Freundlich said in response to Miranda’s email. His comments otherwise don’t seem to have provoked any response. Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-07-25 10:01 dailycaller.com
75 Sanders Delegates Threaten To Protest During Clinton And Kaine Acceptance Speeches [VIDEO] PHILADELPHIA–Two Sanders delegates slammed both Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee Sunday during a press conference and claimed that Bernie Sanders delegates may walkout, turn their backs, or remain seated during Hillary Clinton’s and Tim Kaine’s presidential and vice presidential acceptance speeches. “There’s talk about walking out of the Vice Presidential, Presidential acceptance speech. There’s talk about total silence, remaining seated, turning backs,” Sanders delegate Norman Solomon told reporters. “The Progressive Democrats of America have no intention of standing down at this point. We brought Bernie Sanders to this to this party, so to speak and we intend to be there, ” said Sanders delegate Donna Martin. The Kaine pick, along with the recent DNC e-mail leaks that showed messages detailing how the party favored Clinton over Sanders, has frustrated Sanders’ supporters. Additionally, Sanders’ supporters became disappointed with the DNC’s handling of the Rules Committee meeting on Saturday, where Sanders’ rules committee delegates hoped to abolish the party superdelegate that favored Clinton this election cycle. “And you know… that… and that was not a good showing, not a good start yesterday in terms of how they handled the rules committee. So will we have actions on the floor? I think there probably will be some.” “One of the many, many reasons but I think it’s among the profoundly largest and most widespread reasons that Bernie delegates here and reflecting supporters around the country are so upset about the Kaine pick is not only that it’s the one thing that Hillary Clinton cannot go back on later on, she’s locked into her pick,” said Solomon. He added, “But also that we believe, from what we understand on the ground, coming from all over this country is that the selection of Kaine will make defeating Donald Trump that much more difficult.” Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to Daily Caller news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. “Um, what kind of message is that, after all well above 45 percent of democratic primary voters went for Bernie. What’s the message here, uh we want you in the party, don’t let the door hit you on the way out, is that the message? We want you in the party, we want you in the room but here’s your hat what’s your hurry, what’s is this message coming from the party, the top of the party?” Follow Kerry on Twitter
2016-07-25 10:01 dailycaller.com
76 DNC Planned To Reward Big Donors With Federal Appointments Democratic National Committee documents recently released by WikiLeaks include spreadsheets and emails that appear to show party officials planning which donors and prominent fundraisers to provide with appointments to federal boards and commissions. The documents, which were circulated among top DNC officials in April, could raise legal questions for the party, says Ken Boehm, the chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center, a government watchdog group. “The disclosed DNC emails sure look like the potential Clinton Administration has intertwined the appointments to federal government boards and commissions with the political and fund raising operations of the Democratic Party,” Boehm told The Daily Caller. “That is unethical, if not illegal.” The records, which WikiLeaks released along with nearly 20,000 hacked DNC emails and other documents on Friday, also expose one of the Beltway’s worst kept secrets: that wealthy politicos can often buy their way to presidential appointments. Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to Daily Caller news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The spreadsheet — which was accompanied by emails sent between officials with the DNC’s finance team — contains 23 names of little-known corporate executives and professional fundraisers who have donated to the committee and various Democratic political action committees. “Boards and Commissions” spreadsheet contained in DNC records. (Redactions added by The Daily Caller) The proposed appointments also provide more evidence that the DNC favored Clinton over her former primary challenger, Bernie Sanders. Most of the donors listed on the spreadsheet have given to Clinton’s campaign. None gave to Sanders. DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign on Sunday because of the anti-Sanders bias that showed up in documents released by WikiLeaks. (RELATED: Debbie Wasserman Schultz To Step Down As DNC Chair) It is unclear from the DNC spreadsheet if any of the people on the list made specific requests for federal appointments. But one tip-off that the document is detailing a quid pro quo is an entry next to the name of David Shapira, the executive chairman of grocery store chain Giant Eagle, Inc. “USPS” — a likely reference to the U. S. Postal Service — is entered on the spreadsheet. President Obama nominated Shapira for a position on the USPS’ board of governors last year but the retail executive did not take the position because congressional Republicans held up his nomination. Shapira and his wife Cynthia have donated heavily to Clinton, the DNC and other Democratic and liberal political action committees. They have given the $2,700 maximum to Clinton. In 2014, Shapira contributed $100,000 to American Unity PAC, a political action committee that supports pro-LGBT candidates. Cynthia Shapira has given $33,400 to the DNC this cycle and $58,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund since last year. The Shapiras did not respond to a request for comment. The donor spreadsheet is included in an email chain in which Jordan Kaplan, DNC’s national finance director, asks other officials to provide names of donors they want to propose for federal commissions. “Last call for boards and commissions,” Kaplan wrote on April 20 . “If you have someone, send to [DNC finance chief of staff Scott] Comer – full name, city, state, email and phone number. Send as many as you want, just don’t know how many people will get to.” The email confused at least one official involved in the exchange. “Boards and commissions? Sorry, I’m lost,” wrote Jordan Vaughn, the national finance director for the DNC’s African American Leadership Council. Comer explained: “Any folks who you’d like to be considered to be on the board of (for example) USPS, NEA, NEH. Basically anyone who has a niche interest and might like to serve on the board of one of these orgs.” “I should say, though, that the likelihood of landing a spot on ones as prestigious as NEA/USPS is unlikely,” Comer added, referring to the National Endowment for the Arts and the U. S. Postal Service. “It’s much more likely they’ll get something like ‘President’s Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History.’ (no shade to women) But when you submit your names, we don’t need specific designations,” he continued. Luis Miranda, the DNC’s communications director and Wasserman Schultz’s right-hand man, did not respond to a request for comment on the email chain and the spreadsheet. Boehn, who once served as chairman for the political action committee Citizens for Reagan, says that the fact that Democrats are lining up appointments to federal committees months before the general election is strong evidence of a quid pro quo. “Having participated in the boards and commissions work for President- elect Reagan, I know there’s no need to involve partisans months before the election,” he told TheDC. “These appointments are made on a staggered basis so there’s no rush.” “As with so much associated with the Clinton operations, there is an appearance that these appointments have been pressed into service as a device to raise funds.” The DNC list also includes David Trone. He’s the wine and beer retailer from Maryland who made national news earlier this year when he spent $13 million of his own money on an unsuccessful campaign for a U. S. House seat. He has maxed out his donations to Clinton and has given $334,000 to the Democratic Hope Fund. He also gave the maximum $33,400 to the DNC in November. Martin Elling is named in the document. He’s a senior partner at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He’s given maximum donations to the DNC as well as to the Clinton campaign. He has also contributed $10,000 to super PAC supporting Clinton. Another notable name is A. Robert Pietrzak. He’s global co-ahead law firm Sidley Austin’s securities and shareholder litigation practice. In that role he defends clients against securities class action lawsuits. He has previous experience as a member of a federal commission. He once served on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Financial Products Advisory Committee. He has maxed out to Clinton as well as to the DNC. Wayne Jordan, a real estate developer from northern California, is also on the list. He has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various Democratic groups. He gave $337,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund in December. One person on the list appears to already hold a committee spot in the Obama administration. Wade Randlett serves on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. A prominent donor to the DNC, the Clinton campaign and other Democratic PACs, he is CEO of General Biofuels. Follow Chuck on Twitter
2016-07-25 10:01 dailycaller.com
77 The Night Of Episode Three Review HBO Series Nasir Khan tentatively asking a prison guard if he should fear for his life set the stage for yet another grueling hour of HBO’s riveting, timely limited series. (Photo: HBO screen grab) Where “The Night Of” succeeds most is in its unwavering, propelled anxiety. Week three matched its previous outings’ anxiety standards. Seemingly trivial or unimportant threads from the previous two episodes lingered into this third hour, suggesting that no detail is meaningless. Take the cop who threw up at the crime scene and wants it stricken from the record. Box wants to keep it in, reminding him and his partner that it adds humanity to the circumstances of the crime, that like both Naz and Andrea Cornish, this cop is a human too. This theme echoed the walls of Rikers Island as well, though in malformed manifestations (more on that later). John Stone goes to the Khans and offers them a flat fee of $75,000 if the case goes to trial, and half that if it doesn’t (likely in a plea deal). He eventually lowers this down to $50,000 and wants them to sign a retainer, though they are clearly ambivalent to this setup. Both Naz and Stone are out of their elements. Naz is not a hardened criminal; Stone is a bumbling, ineffective lawyer. He’s peppered with questions about his feet, including one from prosecutor Helen Weiss, who gives him the contact information for a tailor to see before the trial. Ouch. WATCH: Meanwhile, remember how Salim Khan shared his cab with two other owners? They aren’t exactly happy the cab is MIA. Later, a cop tips them off to John Stone as a possible attorney to use charging Naz with grand theft auto, so they couldn’t be held liable for the cab’s use in the crime. It also appears that the first conversation might not have been private. Someone photographed Salim as he was leaving the meeting with these two men. This surveillance thread carried over from the previous two episodes, though this time it focused heavily on the press. Earlier in the episode, we see a lawyer speaking to the press in a courthouse, speaking for her client and manipulating a news anchor in the process. It’s unclear why until that same lawyer is seen in a coffee shop watching the police speak about Andrea’s murder. We also see the perspective of those watching in prison, the Khans watching at home and a prisoner named Freddy (who you might recognize as Omar from “The Wire”), who has a cushy room to himself adorned with newspaper clippings, posters and other memorabilia, watching on his personal TV. It’s this seemingly all-knowing perspective — yet the characters still only seeing the publicly available portion of the story — that makes Naz’s supposed innocence all the more infuriating. Freddy takes a liking to Naz and has a guard give him shower shoes, and appears to offer him use of a cell phone. Keep in mind that we also see Freddy having sex with a female guard in another room of the prison, too. He’s in charge, though not immediately clear how or why. Elsewhere, the Khans decide to pass on Stone and hire that courthouse lawyer from earlier, Alison Crowe, who brings along an Indian associate Chandra Kapoor on a house visit to the Khans. Crowe points out all Stone’s flaws, though Stone later points out to Kapoor that she was used as a prop for Crowe’s benefit. It’s not yet clear why Crowe wants to help Naz — a question he even asks his father — but regardless, she’s better equipped to handle the case. Naz breaks the news to Stone, though he offers to be of personal service to him anyway. At least his intentions seem pure, from what we know so far. His doctor’s appointment and eczema support group gave Stone personal character development that further developed and informed his professional struggles. In the spirit of the show, the two cannot be mutually exclusive. Also telling? Stone’s visit to the crime scene, which included the return of Andrea’s cat. Stone, naturally, is allergic, so he takes it to the pound. If no one takes it, it will die in 10 days. The prison metaphor here is a little on the nose, but the audience won’t feel its impact until a bit later. That’s where Freddy comes back in. He invites Naz to his room and eerily explains that the prisoners and the guards come from the same neighborhood, all like a family. He tells Naz the other Muslims aren’t going to like him and that prison has its own separate judicial system, that Naz has been judged and juried and it hasn’t turned out well in his favor. When a guard brought Naz up to see Freddy, he dropped a package with him. Freddy tells him to close his eyes (Why he would ever listen to him, who knows, especially since a fellow prisoner warned him to keep his mouth shut a la Stone) and Freddy places Naz’s hand on what’s inside the package: veal. That’s where the episode’s title comes into play: “A Dark Crate” is a reference to a calf waiting to be slaughtered — a clear allegory for Naz’s present situation. Freddy offers to protect Naz, though we don’t know Naz’s answer. That fellow prisoner from earlier tells Naz he has to let Freddy protect him. And all of a sudden, it became clear why. Naz went up to use the bathroom, where all signs pointed to an altercation there (and a callback to a shower scene earlier where he kept looking behind his shoulder). When he went back to his bed, it was on fire. Prisoners are staring at him, menacingly, and Freddy is watching it all from his room. Freddy and Crowe’s roles in Naz’s life are strikingly similar: Both claim to have his best interest though have their own motives; Stone and Box’s moral compasses might be more on the straight-and-narrow (and ethics- abiding). The only truth we have is that Naz is in trouble, and the heart- pounding anxiety shows no signs of stopping.
2016-07-25 10:01 dailycaller.com
78 EXCLUSIVE: DNC Interim Chair Declined To Disavow Hillary Commie Endorsement Now that Donna Brazile was named interim chair of the DNC maybe she can finally get around to renouncing the Communist Party USA’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton. When CPUSA chairman John Bachtell made some news this May by announcing he would vote for Hillary Clinton in November, despite supporting Bernie Sanders in the primary, the Washington Gadfly asked Brazile if she wanted to disavow his support. Seemed like a perfectly reasonable inquiry since everybody had recently been demanding that Donald Trump disassociate himself from David Duke, from whom he had no real association with anyway. But the Democratic Party and Communists were long intertwined— Democratic congressman Samuel Dickstein worked for the NKVD, pre- cursor to the KGB, etc. Nevertheless, Brazile gave a not very artful dodge when asked June 1: go get an “official” response from the DNC press office because she was “unaware” of the matter. Actually, the email made her very aware of the matter and more information could have been easily obtained on something called Google that she might have heard of. More importantly, when reminded that she was actually a DNC vice-chair, perfectly capable of giving an official response, Brazile did not reply. Before Brazile became a regular CNN fixture she was quite outspoken. In 1988, Brazile was fired by Michael Dukakis ‘ presidential campaign manager because she simply said aloud something—the longstanding rumor about George H. W. Bush having a mistress –that almost everybody else in town only discussed behind closed doors. Both Bush and the longtime aide he was allegedly schlonging later denied the allegations. But Brazile did not just lob her rhetorical stink bombs at Republicans. In 2000, she radically broke with liberal racial orthodoxy and told me in a story for JewishWorldReview.com that she considered Clarence Thomas “a role model for black Americans” just “like Jesse Jackson, Tiger Woods and Thurgood Marshall.” But these days, now that Brazile is a regular CNN talking head, she stonewalls when asked about anything messy. After Wasserman Schultz, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton all refused to explain the difference between a Democratic socialist I put the question to Brazile. She too demurred. Similarly, an inquiry about the Bernie Sanders campaign adviser who said blacks suffered a “financial Holocaust” under President Obama brought this snooty reply: “Sir, I am not running for office.” Ugh. Let’s hope that spunky Donna Brazile of yesterday was just the victim of a body snatcher. Maybe her earlier self of yesteryear can return and finally answer these questions now that she is officially leading the Democratic Party.
2016-07-25 10:01 Investigative Journalist dailycaller.com
79 79 Suicide Bombing In Germany By Syrian Man Denied Asylum A suicide bomber has been killed after he detonated explosives he was carrying at a musical festival in Germany Sunday, injuring 12 people. (Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images) The 27-year-old Syrian man, who was reportedly previously denied asylum , set off the bomb he was carrying in his backpack around 10 p.m. at the entrance of the Ansbach Open music festival near the southern town of Ansbach. “We don’t know if this man planned on suicide or if he had the intention of killing others,” Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said during a press conference. “A man — according to our knowledge, the perpetrator — died,” police also said in a statement. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Of the estimated 2,000 people attending the festival, 12 were injured and three of them have serious wounds. Authorities have since canceled the festival and evacuated the area. Police initially thought the explosion might have been caused by a gas leak, but a city official later said it was intentional, reports claim.
2016-07-25 10:00 Entertainment Editor dailycaller.com
80 EXCLUSIVE: Clinton scandal may drag down Laureate Univrsity Reports of faulty corporate record keeping and links to the growing controversy over allegations of Clinton Foundation “pay-to-play” schemes could doom the pending initial public offering (IPO) of the for-profit Laureate Education university, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation. Billionaire George Soros, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and private equity investor Henry Kravis all financially back Laureate. The company paid former President Bill Clinton nearly $16.5 million as honorary chancellor from 2010 to 2015. Laureate officials are trying to raise $1 billion in the IPO and told potential investors in a May 26, 2016, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing update the company’s financial statements may be inaccurate and unreliable, after uncovering “five material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.” Clinton’s tenure partially coincided with the period of Laureate’s inaccurate corporate reports, at least one of which remains unremedied. The company is trying to get out from under a crushing $4.8 billion debt load. A successful public offering would provide significant financial relief to Soros, Allen, Kravis and other Laureate investors. It’s unclear, however, if Laureate could survive a failed IPO. In the updated SEC filing, Laureate spelled out the consequences of the faulty reporting, stating, “we may be unable to report our financial results accurately on a timely basis, which could cause our reported financial results to be materially misstated and result in the loss of investor confidence.” Laureate operates 100 campuses in 28 countries, including the U. S., and has been burning through cash for several years. Analysts say Laureate has generated little organic growth. Further clouding Laureate’s IPO prospects are allegations the firm engaged in a “pay-to-play” relationship with the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation. Sixty-six House Republicans in a letter last week called for investigations by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Trade Commission into possible corrupt ties between Laureate and the Clintons. FBI Director James Comey hinted at a recent congressional hearing that, while the bureau’s own investigation of Clinton’s private email server is over, a public integrity probe may still be ongoing on the relationship between foundation donors and Clinton political favors. The public optics are not good for Laureate and and Clintons. While Hillary Clinton was secretary of state and her husband was collecting millions from Laureate, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, sent a $150 million equity infusion to the cash-starved company. Laureate donated between $1 million to $5 million to the Clinton Foundation and actively collaborated with a Clinton project called the “Clinton Global Initiative University.” The New York Department of Education may force deletion of the term “university,” since the program, led by Bill Clinton, has no a curriculum, syllabus, classes, grades or degrees. The Clintons collected nearly $5 million for their “university.” Kathleen Smith, manager of IPO-focused exchange-traded funds at Renaissance Capital, told TheDCNF the congressional inquiry could delay the issuance of the Laureate IPO. “It’s going to raise questions about the company and how ‘pay to play’ has affected them. It certainly won’t help them,” she said. “There’s a cloud and that may be why we haven’t yet seen the IPO.” Jay R. Ritter , an IPO specialist at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business, said having Bill Clinton as honorary chairman at the time may have seemed like a “marketing advantage.” The downside is that “any controversy like this is going to hurt the [IPO] valuation.” Another problem is that Bill Clinton’s Laureate payments were never disclosed on any of the Clinton Foundation’s tax returns. Charles Ortel, a Wall Street analyst who has closely studied Clinton Foundation filings, told TheDCNF that the omissions are serious. Laureate was operationally tied to the foundation as a sponsor and co-programmer. “The fact that Bill Clinton was paid $16.5 million over a five-year period is certainly not disclosed in the Clinton Foundation’s 990’s tax filings or with 990 tax documents concerning the Clinton Global Initiative University, which is a one of the joint partnerships with Laureate,” said Ortel, who has also twice served as a trustee for charitable foundations. “A material omission like this must be corrected. And an explanation must be issued why the omission occurred,” he said. The $150 million equity investment in Laureate in January, 2013, was the largest single education investment ever made by the IFC and was made one month before Clinton left the State Department, according to IFC documents. The United States Government is the largest single donor to the IFC, providing 21 percent of its $569 million total funding. A Laureate spokesman told TheDCNF that “the IFC’s decision to invest in Laureate had no connection to and was not influenced in any way whatsoever by Hillary Clinton.” But the IFC investment in Laureate was not the only one involving the Clintons. In 2013, the IFC invested another $150 million in a port-and- pipeline project in Colombia that was 49 percent owned by billionaire Frank Giustra. Giustra is a $100 million donor to the Clinton Foundation and co- founder with Bill Clinton of the “Clinton-Giustra Enterprise Partnership.” The congressional letter also singled out “pay-to-play” problems with Giustra’s Uranium One deal with a Russian uranium agency. The deal allowed Moscow to access uranium mines in the U. S. Hillary Clinton played a prominent role in permitting the mine ownership to be transferred to the Russians as secretary of state. The Obama administration has tried to end for-profit universities in the United States. Two for-profit universities, Corinthian Colleges Inc. and Education Management Corp . were delisted from the Nasdaq Stock Market last year as the Obama administration pressured the sector. “For some reason, Laureate escaped aggressive punishment by the Obama administration,” notes Ortel. The Democratic Party’s education platform also pledges to go after for- profit universities. “We will go after for-profits that engage in deceptive marketing, fraud, and other illegal practices. It is not right that for-profit schools with low graduation rates keep encouraging their students to take out federal loans they will have trouble paying back,” the party platform states. Follow Richard on Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-07-25 10:00 dailycaller.com
81 Civil liberties group takes on copyright rules — RT America Under the act, which became law in 1998, users face criminal charges if they hack or break digital locks. That makes it a federal crime to copy a DVD, modify a game console or hack a car’s software, even if you own the items, unless you seek an exemption from the Library of Congress. The lawsuit against the Department of Justice, Library of Congress, and US Copyright Office was filed Thursday in the US District Court District of Columbia. The two named plaintiffs argue that the restrictions under DMCA violate their First Amendment rights under the US Constitution. One plaintiff, Matthew Green, is a computer security researcher at John Hopkins University. His work involves reverse engineering to make sure that users can trust their communication devices’ encryption, which underpins financial transactions or secures private medical information. The DMCA forbids Green from testing out his research. He would face criminal prosecution, unless he seeks an exception from the Library of Congress to conduct his study. The Library of Congress does not always grant exemptions. They recently denied petitions requesting permission to copy portions of movies for “narrative” filmmaking, noncommercial filmmaking using more than short clips, and educational uses for K-12 students. “As a result, it may be unlawful to circumvent in order to create a running critical commentary on a large portion of a political debate, sporting event, or movie, when such activity would be a noninfringing fair use,” stated the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in the lawsuit . EFF argues, “If future generations are going to be able to understand and control their own machines, and to participate fully in making rather than simple consuming culture, Section 1201 has to go.” The predicament is especially incongruous for a country where the economy has thrived because of the innovations of tinkerers and makers, from Benjamin Franklin to Nikola Tesla to Dean Kamen to Elon Musk. “Before Section 1201 [of the DMCA], the ownership of ideas was tempered by constitutional protections. Under this law, we had the right to tinker with gadgets we bought, we had the right to record TV shows on our VCRs, and we had the right to remix song,” said Andrew “bunnie” Huang, the other named plaintiff in the suit, in a blog post. “Section 1201 built an extra barrier around copyrightable works, restricting our prior ability to explore and create. In order to repair a gadget, we may have to decrypt its firmware; in order to remix a video, we may have to strip HDCP. Whereas we once readily expressed feelings and new ideas through remixes and hardware modifications, now we must first pause and ask: does this violate Section 1201?” Huang, an inventor whose company Alphamax LLC is developing devices for editing digital video streams, wrote. “[His] products would enable people to make innovative use of their paid video content, such as captioning a presidential debate with a running Twitter comment field or enabling remises of high-definition video. By using or offering this technology could run afoul of Section 1201,” stated the EFF in its released statement.
2016-07-25 10:01 www.rt.com
82 Widow takes husband's corpse on Alaskan road trip — RT America Using ice from local canneries to keep the corpse cold, the woman placed the body of her 78- year-old spouse inside an aluminum transport casket and took him for one last ride. READ MORE: Probe launched after ‘corpse waiting in queue’ reported in Russian hospital Police found the body several days into the road trip and said that throughout the journey, the woman stopped off at canneries to stock up on ice for the truck bed during the “rolling wake,” Juneau Empire reports. The man died from natural causes on Prince of Wales Island and his wife drove the body to the city of Ketchikan. Police Chief Alan Bengaard told the Ketchikan Daily News that the body should have been en route to the morgue, but instead “for some reason she decided to not go directly to the mortuary and had been driving around with him for a couple days.” READ MORE: Airbn-body: Friends rent house near Paris from online service, find decomposing corpse in garden “My understanding is kind of - leading up to the events of the last couple of days - there’s been a rolling wake or viewing,” Bengaard added. “It was pointed out to me that evidently, she had stopped at a couple of the canneries and got ice and filled the bed of the truck with ice to keep the body chilled.” The mortuary has taken custody of the body after police were called to the scene, while the family will decide how to care for the body. According to the officer, the woman did not break any laws, but he said “you can’t make this stuff up” and that hopefully the woman won’t choose to go back on the road again with the body.
2016-07-25 10:01 www.rt.com
83 Feds nab ringleaders of $1bn Medicare fraud — RT America Esformes, 47, is the owner of a network of about 20 assisted-living facilities in the Miami-Dade area, the Miami Herald reported. He is accused of using the facilities to exploit Medicare, by filing false claims for unnecessary services for the past 14 years. In some cases, the services he billed Medicare for were not even provided. He did not work alone on this. The US Attorney’s office also charged Arnaldo Carmouze, 56, and Odette Barcha, 49. It is believed that they conspired to use their connections in healthcare to refer patients to Esformes. Physicians and healthcare professionals at one unnamed hospital were found to have received kickbacks in exchange for referring thousands of Medicare patients to Esformes’ network. These kickbacks were billed as travel and hotel expenses. Some were disguised as payments for escort services as well, something that really should have raised more red flags. That’s only the tip of this billion-dollar iceberg. The Justice Department is also accusing him of working in conjunction with other healthcare fraudsters, who in turn used his network to receive money for unnecessary services in exchange for money as well. This is not the first time Esformes has been in hot water. Prosecutors claim that in 2014, he was responsible for attempting to interfere with a Medicare fraud case against two men who were charged with filing false claims for prescription drugs and other healthcare services. Criminal division’s assistant attorney general Leslie R. Caldwell told reporters on Friday, “ This is the largest single criminal healthcare fraud case ever brought against individuals by the Department of Justice. ” Esformes’ defense attorneys have released a statement declaring his innocence, saying, “ Mr. Esformes is a respected and well-regarded businessman. He is devoted to his family and his religion. ” They placed the blame for his arrest on “ people who were caught breaking the law and are now hoping to gain reduced sentences. ” This could be a reference to the 2014 case against Guillermo and Gabriel Delgado. The Delgados pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and accused Esformes of accepting kickbacks from them in exchange for referring Medicare patients from his network. Prosecutors claim that Esformes had discussed sending Guillermo Delgado to Israel to avoid trial in order to allow Gabriel to place the blame on him. The prosecution disagrees. In fact, the prosecutors are seeking to detain Esformes before the trial, claiming he is a danger to the community.
2016-07-25 10:01 www.rt.com
84 Coach derails at Mahim yard, on same section where major remodelling had been carried out recently Another derailment, though in the yard, has brought the maintenance of the Western Railway in focus once more. This is the third derailment on WR and the second on the suburban section over the past few months. Also read: Four-fold rise in technical glitches throw Western Railway off track Late on Saturday, one of the coaches of a local train derailed inside the Mahim yard, where trains are parked. Just before the monsoon hit Mumbai, the Mahim yard had undergone a major overhauling and remodelling to accommodate 12-car trains on the Harbour line. Although it didn’t affect train services — as the coach derailed inside the Mahim yard at 1.50 am and was rerailed at 4.15 am — it shows poor maintenance of WR. Sources said the derailment happened on the same section where the remodelling was carried out. During the remodelling, tracks were changed and platforms extended to accommodate 12-car trains, and there were other developments. “An investigation is on and we have set up a committee,” said Mukul Jain, divisional railway manager (Mumbai), WR. Officials claimed that the previous incidents of disruption at Mahim were due to battery thefts inside the substation, and waterlogging due to which points failed and prevented trains from switching tracks, and other issues. On May 31, another coach had derailed at Lower Parel while going into the yard.
2016-07-25 10:01 By Shashank www.mid-day.com
85 Mumbai 5's crowned Premier Futsal 2016 champions Mapusa (Goa): Mumbai 5’s were crowned inaugural Premier Futsal champions after defeating Kochi 5’s via sudden death in the penalty shootout here today yesterday. Players take part in a Legends match before the final of the Premier Futsal League in Mapusa, Goa yesterday. Pic/AFP Mumbai keeper Luis Amado scored, while his Kochi counterpart Casslone muffed his chance in the penalty shootout after both sides were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation 40 minutes. Mumbai were on the brink of losing the summit clash but their in-form Colombian player Angellot equallised one minute before the regulation time (39th minute) to bring his side back into the match. In the shootout, Ryan Giggs and Michel Salgado missed the target and two teams were tied at 2-2, forcing the match to be decided via sudden death at the Peddam indoor Stadium here. For Mumbai, Angellot and Perez scored in the shootout, while Chaguinha and Gekabert found the target for Kochi. Earlier, Mumbai 5s held their nerve to defeat Kolkata 5s 4-2 in the first semi-final, In the second keenly-contested semi-final, it was Chaguinha's double strike which helped Kochi 5s defeat Goa 5s 2-1 to set up final clash with Mumbai 5s side.
2016-07-25 09:59 By PTI www.mid-day.com
86 UN praises Colombia and FARC's agreement on women The UN has welcomed an agreement between the Colombian government and FARC rebels giving specific guarantees to women as part of a peace accord. Both sides agreed that women would have equal access to land after a final peace deal was signed. A commission will also be set up to look into sexual violence during the 50- year conflict. Women displaced by the conflict have often led the struggle for land rights, and suffered sexual violence. Speaking in the Cuban capital Havana, where the talks are taking place, the head of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said the UN should use the example of Colombia in other conflict zones around the world. "The issue of violence against women, especially, sexual violence, has not been swept under the carpet, it has been made a priority so that the victims can seek justice," she said. "This has not happened in other peace accords, so it has become a historic event. " Colombia guerrillas prepare finally for peace Colombian views of the peace process The accord includes promises of equal access for women in rural areas to land, ownership rights and credit to buy land. The agreement also promotes and protects female participation in organisations set up to investigate sexual violence, and addresses how victims should be compensated. The Colombian government has also promised it will guarantee the security of female FARC soldiers - believed to be about 30% of an estimated 7,000 FARC fighters. President Juan Manuel Santos has said he expects a full peace accord to be signed in the next few months.
2016-07-25 09:37 www.bbc.co.uk
87 Bamboo magnate's £1bn ambitions for Sheffield Back in the 1960s, Sheffield was still booming, with many thousands employed in making a product that had underpinned Britain's industrial strength for centuries; steel. At the same time, half a world away in China, a young salesman had found a niche market with the material of choice for one of the poorest countries on the planet. Wang Chunming had a knack for selling bamboo and a willingness to ride the considerable risks in a system that had declared entrepreneurs to be an enemy class. "Profiteering was a crime punishable by death," he laughs. "But practically all the bamboo blinds in China came from Chengdu, and I was the only guy selling them. " The story of the past 50 years has, of course, been marked by Britain's industrial decline and China's extraordinary rise. Which is how, having made his fortune first in bamboo and then in construction, Mr Wang is now in the position of signing a deal to invest more than £200m ($262m) in Sheffield, a place he talks about in a way Brits may once have spoken of China. "When we saw Sheffield, we noticed the infrastructure was not very advanced," he tells me. "There's not even a five-star hotel. " The £200m is, Sheffield City Council proudly boasts, "the biggest Chinese investment deal in a UK city outside of London" and it is just the beginning of a plan which Mr Wang says will "transform" the city centre with around a billion pounds of investment spread over 60 years. Starting with a new hotel - five star of course - and apartment buildings, Mr Wang says the eventual vision includes helping to overhaul Sheffield's "problematic" transport infrastructure and developing its universities. He's keen to show off the kind of things he's capable of, so we're taken on a tour of some of the latest projects built by his business, Guodong Construction Company. Although it has to be said, they seem to prompt as many questions as they answer. His recently opened hotel in Chengdu, the Guodong International Hotel, feels a little dated by the swish standards of most modern luxury Chinese hotels. And it comes complete with a somewhat improbable faux Greco-Roman fountain which, he tells me, he designed himself. Might we expect to see him bring his tastes to bear in a similar way on Sheffield's new cityscape, I wonder? "I hope so," he replies. "The fountain was inspired by Italian masterpieces. We should have something like this in Sheffield... or even a more magnificent one. " We're also taken to one of Mr Wang's new apartment complexes, functional enough if not particularly inspiring, although he tells us he's the first developer in Chengdu to offer a full refund if buyers aren't totally happy. We later discover that this particular complex happens to be the subject of a legal dispute with a subcontractor suing Guodong over payment. Mr Wang brushes it off when we ask, suggesting it's a small matter and that his company will win. There are, though, other questions about Guodong relating to the Sheffield investment. The construction company's shares have been voluntarily suspended a number of times in recent months while it undergoes restructuring. And just days before the Sheffield deal was signed there was a sudden change of plan, with the investment funds no longer coming from the public limited company (PLC), under the control of shareholders, but from the parent company, Guodong Construction Group, under private ownership and the control of Mr Wang. He insists there is no cause for concern. "The main problem was if we had used our PLC to invest, the red tape would have been too complicated and time-consuming," he tells me. "Not every shareholder understands every decision we make and the board may not vote for all of our decisions. There may be obstacles in executing our plans and our British partners may lose faith in us. " Sheffield City Council also tells me it has no concerns and has been fully aware of the situation with the company stocks and ownership structures during the negotiations. And the deal has the backing of the British government, which would like it to be seen that Britain is still very much open for business following the Brexit vote. The irony is that in a referendum decision that turned largely on fears about immigration, Mr Wang's investment has only come about because of Sheffield's popularity with large numbers of Chinese students. He tells me he first discovered the city because his daughter and son-in-law were both students there and without them, the whole thing would never have happened. There is perhaps another clue to his motivation, which can be found hanging in the lobby of his Chengdu company headquarters. In pride of place are a series of pictures that show Mr Wang meeting a young Xi Jinping, on a visit to one of his factories many years ago. Mr Xi is, of course, now the president. Mr Wang may have started off selling his bamboo blinds against the prevailing orthodoxy of Chairman Mao's Communist Party. But like most successful businessmen he has since developed a canny knack of making the right connections, with his construction company for example winning contracts to build army bases across China. And today, the Sheffield deal almost certainly has the backing of the Chinese government, keen to strengthen ties with the UK and keen in general to encourage the acquisition of overseas assets. Mr Wang himself alludes to this, suggesting the deal brings the interests of the parties involved, as well as the UK and China, into neat alignment. Whatever the financial complexities of the way the investment is being funded, one thing is certain. In China, politics is everything, and when it comes to his political credentials, Mr Wang looks rock solid.
2016-07-25 09:37 By John www.bbc.co.uk
88 BJP MLC arrested for sexually harassing minor girl in a train Patna/Hajipur: A BJP MLC was arrested in Hajipur for sexually harassing a minor girl in a train, prompting the party to suspend him. BJP MLC Tunna Ji Pandey was arrested on the basis of a complaint by parents of the 12- year-old after the incident on Howrah-Gorakhpur Poorvanchal Express, the Superintendent of Railway Police Muzaffarpur, B N Jha said. The parents alleged Pandey — a BJP MLC from local bodies quota in Siwan — kissed their daughter in an AC-2 tier coach. The MLC was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody. Pandey, however, denied the charges. An embarassed BJP, however, suspended Pandey immediately. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted, “BJP has suspended party MLC Tunna Pandey.”
2016-07-25 09:58 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
89 BSF trooper stabs colleague, escapes with machine gun Jammu: A border security force (BSF) trooper on Sunday escaped with a light machine gun (LMG) after stabbing his colleague at a an outpost on the international border in Jammu district. BSF and Jammu Kashmir police personnel checking the vehicles after a BSF jawan stabbed his colleague and fled with weapons, at Beli Azmat post in Kanhchak Sector in Jammu "A BSF jawan identified as Rajeev Ranjan, resident of Darbanga, Bihar stabbed another jawan identified as Raghubir Singh, resident of Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir at Beli Azmat post in Kanachak area of the international border in Jammu district," a senior police officer told IANS. "Rajeev Rajan later escaped with a LMG and ten magazines. Both the troopers belong to 89 battalion of the BSF," the officer added. The officer said Rajeev Rajan had been sanctioned leave with effect from July 21. "Initial investigations reveal he did not leave for his home on July 21, but was hiding after leaving the post till he managed to return secretly to stab his colleague and decamp with the LMG. "The injured trooper has been shifted to hospital and investigations have been started into the incident", the officer noted. A high alert has been sounded to trace the missing trooper. Police in neighbouring Punjab has also been alerted to trace the missing trooper.
2016-07-25 09:56 By IANS www.mid-day.com
90 Is it a mistake to talk about your children at work? If you had to make a list of topics not to talk about at work, you'd probably include sex, money, religion and politics. And they might be closely followed by mental health or (dreaded phrase) "women's problems". But would you include children in that list? As the mother of a "challenging" boy, it's a pertinent question for me. When my mobile rings at work and it's After School Club reporting on his latest misdemeanour, how much do I reveal to my colleagues? So let's put the question out there: is it OK to talk about your children at work? "Not if you want to get on," said a friend whose husband works in one of the country's top corporations, and who has observed the behaviour of its senior staff over many years. And workplace psychologist and author Jessica Pryce Jones is in no doubt about the danger of being too free with the details of your home life, especially if your children are creating glitches in its smooth running. "Being at work, you want to show as little vulnerability as possible, because when you show vulnerability, you're weak, and when you're weak, somebody else stronger than you takes position in the pack," she says. "I think you have to be a very strong character in a corporate world, I really do. " So here's the follow-up question for working mothers: do women have to be stronger than men? Are they judged differently? "Absolutely," says Jessica Pryce Jones. She believes that if men talk about their children in the office, it reflects positively on them. They're seen as caring fathers. But, she says, it's not the same for women. "I just could not talk about my children in the same way, knowing that it would not be perceived as a strength in me. Just knowing that it would be perceived as a weakness. " The parenting website Mumsnet backs up the view that there's a delicate balance women must strike. Its advice to mothers returning to work finishes with: "And remember, the golden rule is: don't talk about work all the time at home and (probably more important) don't talk about your kids all the time at work. " The difference in the way men and women are perceived kicks in as soon as you have a child, let alone whether you talk about it, according to recent research. When the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality, ran a poll earlier this year , it found that 46% of those who responded believed that a woman becomes less committed to her job after having a baby. The corresponding figure for men was 11%. And when the question was turned round, nearly a third of the people polled thought that men actually become more committed to their job after becoming a father. In the jargon, it's the "mummy penalty" versus the "daddy bonus". Tamara Box is a partner at the international law firm Reed Smith, and she also chairs Cancer Research UK's Women of Influence initiative. While she agrees that women are subject to bias in a lot of ways, she is adamant that this shouldn't stop them from being themselves because, in her view, that doesn't make business sense. "Telling women you should button up about your kids or pretend you don't have any, or never mention if you have to leave for childcare reasons, you know that is not the right answer," she says, "because it's bad for our business. "Those women will eventually decide, 'This isn't the right place for me,' and they'll leave. " And not everyone agrees that this particular issue should be viewed through the lens of the battle of the sexes. "I do think it gets stuck as a gender thing," says Ailie MacAdam, managing director for infrastructure in Europe and Africa at the engineering and construction company Bechtel. "It's about the way your mind works. " Within her own team, she explains, some people find a bit of non-work chat useful at the beginning of a meeting, but others see it as an irritating, even stressful, distraction. And in her experience, that preference isn't dictated by gender. Like other companies, Bechtel runs unconscious bias-awareness training, and Ms MacAdam says that helps to bring the issue into the open: "It's important to create an environment where you can say, 'When I talk about my children, what do you think of me?' It's healthy to have that conversation. " Not only healthy to have that sort of openness, argue some, but essential for the smooth running of many businesses. The modern workplace is more informal and tolerant, asserts Tony Franco, a brand consultant who works with the marketing departments of many companies. He says revealing something about yourself, and the kind of person you are, is an important part of that: "Obviously, the key thing you need to do at work is to create good relationships with all your work colleagues, create a rapport, so you trust each other, so you know each other. That's really quite fundamental, particularly if you're working in teams. " Tamara Box agrees. She believes that far from undermining your professional image, the revelation that you have children can be a useful way of building relationships with clients as well as colleagues. And as the mother of a 10-year old son, it's one of the tools she deploys in her business life. "There are a number of ways that one can connect with others and that's a lot of what the workplace is about," she says. "You are most effective when you're connecting and so for me that may be a point of connection. But it may not be. " That caveat is important. Not every office is the same, but as Ms Box points out, it's a bad idea to talk about anything endlessly if it doesn't interest your audience, whether it's your weekend game of golf or your amazing offspring. Proud parents take note.
2016-07-25 09:55 By Philippa www.bbc.co.uk
91 The high-flyer who swapped the circus for the cinema A teenage trapeze artist, Gerry Cottle Jr was used to working high up. The son of a UK circus owner, he spent his school holidays wowing large crowds with his daredevil aerial shows. And when he wasn't flying through the air under the big top, he was breathing fire, showing off his juggling skills, or performing as a clown. But while his siblings joined his father's business - Gerry Cottle's Circus - full-time when they left school, Gerry Jr ultimately decided it was not for him. "Something didn't feel quite right, I wasn't obsessive about it," says Gerry Jr, now 34. "I wanted something different. " So hanging up his circus costumes, he spent his 20s working in public relations (PR) and event management in London. But with an overwhelming desire to run his own company like his dad, a novel idea for a business projected itself in his mind. And while it didn't include trapezes, it did involve going way above ground level, and putting on a good show. "I always loved films and had a passion for events because of the circus background," he says. "I'd noticed pop-up cinema events, and I'd seen a rooftop with not much happening on it in east London, and I thought, 'Why not have a rooftop cinema?' No-one else was doing it. " And so he had the idea for his business - Rooftop Film Club - which he launched in 2011. Today the London-based company runs regular screenings in the UK capital, as well as in New York and Los Angeles. To get Rooftop Film Club off the ground, Gerry Jr was able to persuade a bank to lend him £10,000 while he still worked in PR. "I'd get home from work at 8pm, and then work on Rooftop Film Club," he says. "Before I knew it, it would be 2am. It was hard work but I loved it. " However, a week before the company's first event - a screening of the coming-of-age film Stand by Me, on top of the Queen of Hoxton bar in Shoreditch, east London - a spanner was thrown into the works. Gerry Jr, who had just quit his day job at the time, says: "The owners said, 'We can't have amplified sounds, we don't want to upset the neighbours.' "I thought 'this will finish me'. " But determined to go ahead, his solution was to provide everyone who attended with a large pair of headphones. He was unsure whether people would be happy with this, but says the headphones were a big success. "Headphones have been our USP (unique selling point), and we now use them even if the venue does offer amplified sound. "People love it, it immerses them in the film, and blocks out the urban noise of being in the middle of a city. " Over the past five years Rooftop Film Club has become a staple on the London summer calendar, with screenings expanding to five venues including the Bussey Building in Peckham and Kensington Roof Gardens. Tickets cost £15 plus booking fee, and events seat up to 130 people. Gerry Jr says the deals with the venues vary. "Some are set fees for the hire of the venue, and others are a percentage of sales. " Films are diverse, with the 800 screenings this summer including Spice World, Muriel's Wedding and Casablanca. Gerry Jr says that he always had global ambitions for the business, and expansion into the US came last summer. "For us, it's about keeping the experience the same whilst growing the quality of the brand and moving into markets across the world. " The business is now looking at opening in two other US cities - Chicago and Austin - while also planning to expand into Hong Kong and Singapore. To fund this growth, Gerry Jr says he is now seeking outside investors. "We want smart money," he says. "We know our brand, we want someone who has expanded into a global market with, say, bars or shops, and we can use that experience. " To earn additional revenues, the business has also extended beyond rooftop film showings. "We were a seasonal business running five months a year," says Gerry Jr. "For the other seven months we were twiddling our thumbs and losing money. We wanted to create a brand that runs all year through and keep our customers happy. " To move to a more year-long operation, the company now organises underground cinemas during the winter - in a cellar underneath London's Waterloo Station. It also has a roof-top crazy golf course - Birdies, in east London. But how much of a challenge is the British weather? "The weather is a difficulty in one sense," says Gerry Jr. "It doesn't make it easy in terms of creating the right experience. "But we've been lucky - we still screen come rain or shine and people still come along. " Now with nine full-time members of staff, and 80 or so freelancers, Rooftop Film Club enjoyed revenues of £1.2m last year, and expects this to rise to £1.6m for 2016. Karsten Grummitt, managing director of cinema analysis group Dodona Research, says Rooftop Film Club has benefited from the upswing in consumers looking for something different from their cinema experience. He says: "Rooftop Film Club [currently] operates in London in a limited number of well-chosen locations with limited seat capacity. "At the same time it has a huge potential market as more young people participate in the experience economy. " Despite not joining the family circus, Gerry Jr says his dad is proud of him. "He laughs about the fact that we both get bums on seats, and sell popcorn to make a living. " Follow The Boss editor Will Smale on Twitter @WillSmale1
2016-07-25 09:55 By Suzanne www.bbc.co.uk
92 Nintendo shares plunge on Pokemon profit warning Shares in Nintendo have fallen sharply after the Japanese gaming giant said Pokemon Go's success would have a limited impact on its profits. Nintendo shares dropped by 17% after they more than doubled in value since the game's launch on 6 July. Pokemon Go was developed by US firm Niantic and Nintendo said profits from licensing and fees would be limited. The fall came as Japanese shares overall opened with solid gains boosted by strong US trading last week. Nintendo said the accounting scheme for recognising revenues from Pokemon Go meant its profits would not materially change. "Taking the current situation into consideration, the company is not modifying the consolidated financial forecast for now," Nintendo said in a stock filing . Friday saw the S&P 500 reach a record high shrugging off poor earnings results. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index was 0.9% higher at 16,776.55 with investors also pinning their hopes on a fresh round of stimulus from the Bank of Japan later this week. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.2% at 22,017.14 while the mainland Shanghai Composite remained flat in early trade. In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi edged up 0.4% to 2,017.51 points. Australia's ASX/200 rose by 0.6% to 5,532.40 points.
2016-07-25 09:55 www.bbc.co.uk
93 Prince Harry 'regrets not speaking about Princess Diana's death' Prince Harry has told of his regret that he did not speak about the death of his mother, Princess Diana, until three years ago. The prince was asked by footballer Rio Ferdinand, whose wife died last year, about the possible impact of that on his children, and replied: "I really regret not ever talking about it. " Prince Harry was hosting an event for mental health charity, Heads Together. The Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in 1997, when Harry was 12. But the prince said he did not speak about losing his mother "for the first 28 years of my life". Prince Harry formed Heads Together with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to bring together leading mental health charities. The event was attended by sports stars including Ferdinand, athletes Kelly Holmes and Ewan Thomas, and cyclist Victoria Pendleton - some of whom have spoken publicly about dealing with depression. The prince told BBC Breakfast: "It is OK to suffer, but as long as you talk about it. It is not a weakness. Weakness is having a problem and not recognising it and not solving that problem. " He said the event was an opportunity to show that "unflappable" sporting personalities can suffer from mental health problems like everyone else, including members of the Royal Family. "A lot of people think if you've got a job, if you've got financial security, if you've got a family, you've got a house, all that sort of stuff, everyone seems to think that is all you need and you are absolutely fine to deal with stuff," he said. He added: "It is very easy for someone to look at someone like Rio Ferdinand and say, 'You get paid all the money in the world, you are a successful footballer, you have fast cars.' But at the end of the day his wife was snatched from him at an early stage of his life with her. "So of course he is going to suffer, it doesn't matter if he has an amazing job. " Father-of-three Ferdinand - whose wife Rebecca Ellison died from cancer last year - spoke to the prince about dealing with the death of a parent. The former England and Manchester United footballer said: "He's gone through different stages in his life that my kids are going to be going towards. "So to get some of his experiences is very rewarding for me and very educational in many ways. "
2016-07-25 09:55 www.bbc.co.uk
94 Bosworth Water Park death: Two people released on bail Two people arrested after a five-year-old boy died in a suspected drowning at a water park have been released on police bail. The boy, named locally as Charlie Dunn, from Tamworth, was pulled from the Blue Lagoon at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire on Saturday afternoon. He died later in hospital and a man and woman were arrested. Police said the pair had been bailed "pending further inquires", adding that the investigation was "ongoing". A spokesman for the Leicestershire force said: "We would continue to ask people not to speculate about the incident and the circumstances surrounding the death and leave the authorities to carry out their investigations. " Officers are urging witnesses and anyone with video footage taken at the park to come forward. Witness Olivia Quinn said the scene at the water park was "horrific". "It hasn't left my mind seeing the boy's body on the ground and seeing people try to save him by giving him CPR," she said. "Everyone was in shock, crying and praying for the little boy. The ambulance took a while to come as it was so busy with people everywhere and cars all around the park. "It wasn't looking good as it must have been 30 minutes a man was still trying with CPR. "When I saw the boy's body being moved on the stretcher into the ambulance, I could see paramedics still giving CPR in the ambulance. A few cars followed the ambulance and I was thinking to myself that must be the parents. " The park reopened on Sunday, with owner Nigel Riley describing the incident as "dreadful". A statement on its Facebook page said: "From all of the staff at Bosworth Water Park we would like to pass on our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this tragic loss of life. "
2016-07-25 09:55 www.bbc.co.uk
95 Elderly woman found murdered in Delhi New Delhi: An elderly woman was found murdered in her house here on Sunday and an amount of cash and jewellery missing, police said. The deceased has been identified as Vimal Rani Ahuja, 62, who resided here in her flat in Lajpat Nagar of south Delhi with her son and daughter-in-law. At the time of the attack, she was alone at home. Her body was found lying in the kitchen in a pool of blood and she seemed to have been hit with an iron rod from behind. Deputy Commissioner of Police (SoutheEast) Mandeep Singh Randhwa said: "She was found in the kitchen with marks of injury on her head. " "The attackers also robbed jewellery and cash worth approximately Rs 10 lakh. According to a senior police officer, the assiliants carried out their act in a time span of seven to ten minutes, and might have escaped via the rooftop. "We have sent the body for the autopsy. We are also looking for the CCTV footage of the area to get some leads into the case," the officer added. Police is also questioning the son and daughter-in-law to know since when the domestic help wasn't working there. This is the fifth case of an attack on a senior citizen in the national capital in the last fortnight. In three of the cases, the domestic help was found to be behind the murder.
2016-07-25 09:55 By IANS www.mid-day.com
96 Georgia Nicols horoscopes for July 25, 2016 We have the “all clear” today to do business. The Moon is in Aries. “It was Monday. It was Monday all day.” Today the Moon is in your sign, which makes you more emotional than usual. In the first half of the day, you might have a volatile exchange with someone. Fortunately, it’s brief and it’s over. For the rest of the day, enjoy sunny skies and good times. Something you’ve been simmering about might come to a head this morning. It will be best to avoid subjects like politics, religion and race. As the day wears on, you feel more peaceful with everyone and everything around you. (Sweet.) Avoid a hotheaded exchange this morning. (Could be a friend or a member of a group about debt or shared property.) The good news is that for the rest of the day your schmooze skills are tops and you will enjoy the company of everyone, especially siblings and relatives. You are highly visible today. Good to know that people are watching if you lose it talking to someone this morning. Jealousy is likely. Perhaps secrets are revealed. (“So you did talk to her!”) Do your best to coast through the morning because the afternoon and evening are sublime. Issues about publishing, the media, medicine, the law, higher education and travel might create conflict this morning, especially with someone from another culture. Discussions about politics, religion and race will be emotional. Nevertheless, later, all is forgotten and you’re a happy camper! Secrets might be revealed today. Discussions about shared property and inheritances might be explosive. Fortunately, this is brief and as the day wears on, it just gets better and better. Relax. Be diplomatic and courteous this morning for your own peace of mind. You don’t like to rock the boat. You like everyone to be smiling, especially if they’re smiling at you. This morning you might have “words” with someone. (It’s a tough morning.) But in the afternoon and evening, it’s wonderful! You will enjoy the company of friends. Avoid quarrels with people in authority this morning. Things could get nasty and you might regret what was said. However, by afternoon, relations with everyone are smooth. You make a great impression on bosses! (Milk this for all it’s worth.) Issues with partners as well as exchanges with your kids are contentious this morning. Easy does it. Be patient. Bite your tongue. You will be glad you did because the rest of the day is social and fun-loving. Enjoy playful activities with children or a short trip somewhere. Domestic issues are tough this morning, especially with female family members. (Don’t even go there. Just slide right on by.) Later in the day, family relations are smooth. You might enjoy entertaining at home or cocooning at home — your choice. Discussions about shared property are positive. Resist the urge to air your feelings this morning because it might turn into an argument in a New York minute. You can relax later in the day, however, because relations with everyone, including members of the general public, are great! Nice evening for cozy chit chat. Avoid squabbles about possessions and money this morning, although this will be tough. Fortunately, everything to do with your job and your earnings flows smoothly for the rest of the day. Go with what works and avoid what doesn’t. Sometimes life is that simple. (But generally not.) Chef-author Geoffrey Zakarian (1959) shares your birthday today. You are open-minded and intuitive. You are an energetic free spirit will with lots of optimism and determination. People like you because you’re friendly. Finally! The year you have been waiting for because you are ready for change. Take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Expect a major change, perhaps as significant as what occurred around 2006. It’s time to test your future!
2016-07-25 09:53 Georgia Nicols chicago.suntimes.com
97 Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier Mapping it for Mumbai Earlier this week, we had written about a cool session called Mapping Stories, that had been lined up at Byculla’s Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Here, they were to learn about the history of Mumbai with help from some of rare maps from an enviable collection. Well, here’s visual evidence that these little explorers had a blast over the weekend. When actors become fans Pic/Shadab Khan Cinemagoers at Matunga’s Aurora theatre were in for a pleasant surprise when actor Vidya Balan, husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor and her parents dropped by to catch the noon show of Rajinikanth’s Kabali yesterday. Eat what gives plants their colour If you imagined that the last you’d hear (and have to study) about chlorophyll would be back in college, think again. Ellipsis Bakery has introduced a set of intriguingly-titled desserts in a cup, including this one that caught our attention — Chlorophyll Yogurt. The yogurt, we were told, was inspired by using yogurt and adding 100% chlorophyll to it. Not just a flavour enhancer, chlorophyll has healing properties that are lost when cooking vegetables, we learnt. The most prominent benefit of chlorophyll is the fact that it breaks down fatty lipids stored in our bodies and helps excrete them. So, this particular dessert with high-protein cream, yeast culture from milk curds and of course, chlorophyll. Now that’s what we call a cool option to help kiss the dessert guilt goodbye! Next stop, Pune Punekars have always had a taste for good food. You’ll find proof in their spicy bhakarwadi and buttery Shrewsbury biscuits. To tantalise their taste buds, Zorawar Kalra is all set to launch Farzi Cafe at Koregaon Park in the third week of August. The interiors of the Lower Parel “Pune is a great city with a well-travelled clientele and a highly developed palate. Farzi Cafe’s menu has been tweaked for Pune, offering Modern Indian cuisine with a molecular twist. Zorawar Kalra All this at an affordable price. I am looking forward to seeing how the diners react to our Inside Out Vada Pav and Bombay Bhel Version 2, which has a blast of -180 degree liquid nitrogen,” he told this diarist. Care for a long drive? Here we come, Rio! Ace shuttler Jwala Gutta posted this frame from the Rio Games’ send-off event for the Indian contingent. Going by the smiles (and one pout, courtesy Jwala!) on the faces of PV Sindhu, Sania Mirza, Ashwini Ponappa, Sumeeth Reddy and Atri Manu, we’re hoping it’ll be a podium finish. Asiatic society (of garbage)? Our photographer captured this appalling sight where the steps and the road facing the Asiatic Society at Horniman Circle were reduced to a dumping ground. Breathe. Pic/Bipin Kokate It was only for a commercial shoot, as a drone captured live frames of the mess. But we are still baffled how this was allowed at one of the city’s oldest standing public heritage buildings. And curious too, whether the site was cleaned up after the scene of crime.
2016-07-25 09:53 By Team www.mid-day.com
98 98 Dear Abby: Wife of dementia patient fears the future All I see is a long, dark road ahead. We are both senior citizens with not a long time left on this Earth. My health is suffering because of this situation. I am extremely depressed, suffer from panic attacks and have lost any hope of happiness in the future. You took a vow to stand by the man you married, and now it’s time to honor it. He may not be the love of your life, but he is your friend. Friends don’t cut and run when the going gets tough. Talk to a geriatrician (M. D.) to find out what kind of care your husband needs now and will need in the future. You should also learn as much as you can about what services for seniors exist in your community. He may eventually need an assisted living facility, but in the meantime, a home caregiver may be able to help him with personal grooming and give you some time to yourself. If he has children or other family members, they might be willing to pitch in and help. While a diagnosis of dementia is daunting, I urge you to enjoy the time you have with him now. He’s still the person you cared for enough to marry. He WILL be that person for quite a while. You may be a senior, but you’re still vital and may have many years ahead to enjoy life. If you fulfill your role as a supportive wife now, your chances of finding happiness when your husband’s journey is over will be greater. A final thought: You’re not alone. There is support out there for you and your husband. Reach out to the Alzheimer’s Association ( alz.org ; 800-272- 3900) for information and local support and resources. In my day, a married woman’s first child was welcomed with a baby shower. Today, baby showers are given for three, four, five children of the same mother whether she’s married or not. The results of the ultrasound are then announced either verbally or, in some cases, by serving attendees white or yellow cupcakes with cream centers that are either pink or blue. Yes, it’s an excuse to have a party, but why not celebrate? If the idea is a turn-off, no law says you must attend. For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order “How to Have a Lovely Wedding.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U. S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P. O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)
2016-07-25 09:53 Abigail Van chicago.suntimes.com
99 Mumbai: Court reduces 3-month sentence of hit-and-run convict to one day A Sessions Court hearing an appeal in a rash driving case, reduced the sentence of a 22-year-old from three months’ imprisonment to sentence till rising of the court, in the interest of his future and career. Representational picture According to the prosecution, Shravani Ganesh Dhavde, who was returning home on October 6, 2011, at 1.30 pm, was hit by a Pulsar motorcycle at Shivaji Park. She was later diagnosed with fractures. A lower court in June, 2015 convicted and sentenced the biker, Shailesh Pravin Kamble, to simple imprisonment for three months and slapped a fine of Rs 500 under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC. Kamble then filed an appeal at a Sessions court. The prosecutor Sanjana Sharma, told the court that based on the evidence, Kamble had not stopped after the mishap. Court observes The judge, AS Waghwase, observed, “Therefore, it is a fit case of hit-and- run. It was expected from the motorcyclist to pass on information to the authorities concerned, and to take steps to provide medical aid, but he failed to do so. The victim has suffered grievous injuries like fractures. The accused had fled after the accident and, therefore, charges under sections 279 and 338 of the IPC, and the Motor Vehicles Act stand established.” Judge Waghwase observed, “Considering such circumstances and that the accused is said to be studying, in the interest of his future and career, the order of the sentence is required to be modified.” He added that instead of imprisonment for three months, he shall undergo sentence till the rising of the court.
2016-07-25 09:52 By Sailee www.mid-day.com
100 Live Updates: In cross-examination, Hebron shooter accuses IDF commanders of lying The cross-examination in the trail of IDF Sgt. Elor Azaria, who is charged with manslaughter in the March killing of a subdued Palestinian terrorist, opened on Monday morning in the Jaffa Military Court. When questioned on stand by IDF prosecutor Nadav Weissman whether three IDF commanders who testified against Azaria had lied, Azaria sated that his IDF major was "100 percent a liar" and his Lt.-col. had partially lied and partially forgot the details of the March incident. Azaria refrained however from saying any lower ranking soldier had lied in their accounts. Be the first to know - Join our Facebook page. Trial proceedings adjourned early on Sunday after Azaria felt unwell. Tweets by jeremybob1 Azaria is on trial for shooting Abdel Fatah al-Sharif on March 24 in Tel Rumeida in Hebron. Sharif and another Palestinian attacked two IDF soldiers, wounding one of them. The rampage was stopped when soldiers killed one attacker, and wounded and “neutralized” Sharif. About 10 minutes later Azaria arrived at the scene and shot Sharif in the head with IDF Prosecutor Lt. Col. Nadav Weissman saying he has proved over the last six weeks that the shooting sufficiently violated the rules of engagement for a manslaughter conviction. On Sunday, defense lawyers Ilan Katz and Eyal Besserglick started their full-fledged counterattack on that case, starting with the testimony of Azaria himself that he had acted in self-defense. The Hebron shooter addressed head-on the allegations of his three commanders, Col. Yariv Ben Ezra, Lt. Col. David Shapira and Maj. Tom Naaman, that his shooting Sharif was unjustified. At the onset of what were expected to be three days of dramatic testimony, Azaria told the court that all of the decorated IDF commanders who have testified against him are liars.
2016-07-25 09:52 YONAH JEREMY www.jpost.com
Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-07-25 12:01